Aircraft Pollution

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government intends to respond to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Report entitled Aircraft in Flight; and if he will make a statement.

Charlotte Atkins: The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's (RCEP) report "The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight" was their response to the Government's 2002 consultation on the future development of air transport in the UK. The Secretary of State for Transport met the chairman of the RCEP, Sir Tom Blundell, in March 2003 to discuss the report. The report was one of over 500,000 responses to the consultation, which informed decisions on "The Future of Air Transport" White Paper published in December 2003.

M5

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the newly installed traffic lights at Junction 14 on the M5.

David Jamieson: The lights at this junction have been installed to help improve safety for all road users by reducing the number of personal injury accidents and decreasing congestion. The Highways Agency and its contractor are currently working to rectify a component problem and the lights should be operational by the end of March.

Farmland Rental Prices

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average rental price of farmland in each (a) Welsh and (b) English county was in each of the last five years.

Alun Michael: Farmland rental prices are collected through the Tenanted Land Survey (TLS), previously called the Annual Survey of Tenanted Land (ASTL). We do not produce results on a regional basis for two reasons.
	Firstly, analysis has shown that most of the variation in rental prices is between farm types, with rental consistent across regions within this—i.e. rental prices for a cereal holding are similar no matter where the holding is located.
	Secondly, the relatively small sample size means that data would not be sufficiently robust to make valid and precise conclusions on a county level basis.
	Instead we publish data by farm type. Results, by farm type, for the each of last five years for Full Agricultural Tenancies (FATs) and Farm Business Tenancies (FBTs) are shown as follows:
	
		England Average rent (£/ha)
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2004 Percentage change 2002–04 
		
		
			 All Agreements of one year or more 122.92 125.11 124.22 119.34  
			  (±2.34) (±2.42) (±4.73) (±2.26) -4 
			   
			   
			 Seasonal Agreements (less than one year) 123.77 129.71 102.85 113.22  
			  (±15.71) (±10.40) (±7.29) (±8.90) +10 
		
	
	
		All FATs Average rent (£/ha)
		
			 Type of holding 2000 2001 2002 2004 Percentage change 2002–04 
		
		
			 Cereal 128.88 124.39 125.14 124.63  
			  (±4.98) (±6.58) (±9.16) (±7.66) -0.4 
			   
			 General Cropping 143.89 140.66 134.64 140.18  
			  (±4.87) (±9.86) (±13.88) (±8.52) +4.1 
			   
			 Dairy 143.15 137.61 131.67 128.64  
			  (±4.50) (±5.47) (±7.06) (±6.51) -2.3 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) 34.74 31.42 32.94 33.04  
			  (±1.81) (±2.15) (±2.84) (±2.10) +0.3 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (Lowland) 85.39 102.37 101.15 111.96  
			  (±3.48) (±6.39) (±7.55) (±5.45) +10.7 
			   
			 All 114.76 111.33 110.13 109.97  
			  (±2.57) (±3.16) (±3.57) (±2.37) -0.1 
		
	
	
		All FBTs of one year or more Average rent (£/ha)
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2004 Percentage change 2002–04 
		
		
			 Cereal 190.24 182.30 175.67 160.24  
			  (±6.59) (±6.35) (±8.60) (±22.64) -8.8 
			   
			 General Cropping 217.38 214.78 219.24 205.31  
			  (±9.86) (±7.67) (±11.52) (±22.97) -6.4 
			   
			 Dairy 177.76 173.06 164.37 176.64  
			  (±8.82) (±6.93) (±10.10) (±20.04) +7.5 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) 51.63 52.90 48.78 46.77  
			  (±3.50) (±4.64) (±8.04) (±4.14) -4.1 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (Lowland) 112.61 112.41 110.65 98.02  
			  (±9.04) (±7.72) (±10.26) (±16.90) -11.4 
			   
			 All 164.98 161.33 156.05 143.33  
			  (±3.46) (±3.54) (±4.69) (±4.47) -8.1 
		
	
	
		Wales Average rent (£/ha)
		
			  2000 
		
		
			 All agreements—one year and over 82.77 
			  (±4.80) 
			   
			 Other agreements—one year and over 103.65 
			  (±18.54) 
		
	
	
		All FATs Average rent (£/ha)
		
			 Type of holding  
		
		
			 Dairy 118.01 
			  (±13.45) 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) 48.6 
			  (±6.77 ) 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (Lowland) 93.61 
			  (±11.66) 
			   
			 All 69.55 
			  (±5.23 ) 
		
	
	
		All FBTs of one year or more Average rent (£/ha)
		
			 Type of holding 2000 
		
		
			 Dairy 162.06 
			  (±20.85) 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) 81.56 
			  (±8.22) 
			   
			 Cattle and Sheep (Lowland) 105.15 
			  (±20.02) 
			   
			 All 109.82 
			  (±6.56) 
		
	
	A full set of results for England and Wales are available on the web at the following locations:
	http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/statnot/astl.pdf
	http://www.wales.gov.uk/keypubstatisticsforwales/content/publication/agriculture/2002/sdr71–2001.xls
	Please note that the survey was not run in England in 2003. This is because we moved from the annual survey (ASTL) in 2002 to the biennial one (TLS) in 2004. No results for Wales are available since 2000.
	Please note also that agriculture in Wales is a devolved matter and so falls under the remit of the National Assembly for Wales. The statistics are publicly available and so are quoted here with references.
	The survey will next be run in England in 2006.

Education Funding

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money the Government allocated per child in (a) primary, (b) middle and (c) upper schools in each constituency in (i) Norfolk and (ii) Suffolk in 2004–05.

Stephen Twigg: Funding is allocated to local education authorities by age rather than phase and cannot be broken down by constituency. The following figures show funding provided by the Government for pupils aged 3–10 and 11–15 in 2004–05:
	
		
			   £ 
			 LEA Pupils aged 3–10 Pupils aged 11–15 
		
		
			 Norfolk 3,420 4,200 
			 Suffolk 3,230 4,070 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The government allocates funds to LEAs via Education Formula Spending and grants. These funds are then distributed by the LEA to schools within their area according to their own local formulae. Education Formula Spending is part of the wider local government finance system and is supported by council tax as well as central government grant.
	2. Total funding includes funding via Education Formula Spending and revenue grants. These figures include the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council, and are in cash terms.
	3. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education EFS settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC.
	4. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 3–10 and 11–15 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	5. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations.
	6. Figures are reported in cash terms and rounded to the nearest 10 as reported by the LEA.

Education Funding

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of funding per pupil in North Tyneside was in each year from 1996 to 2001.

Stephen Twigg: As a result of data changes and changes to the funding system, comparable figures are not available for 1996–97. The following table shows total funding per pupil aged 3 to 19 in North Tyneside from 1997–98 to 2001–02 in real terms.
	
		North Tyneside LEA
		
			  Per pupil (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,690 
			 1998–99 2,750 
			 1999–2000 2,870 
			 2000–01 3,150 
			 2001–02 3,320 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Price base: Real terms at 2003–04 prices GDP deflators as at 30 September 2004.
	2. Figures include formula funding and grants within the DfES Departmental Expenditure Limit.
	3. They exclude Education Maintenance Allowances and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	4. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the SSA settlement calculations plus PLASC 3 -year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

GCSEs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entrants graded A*, A and B at GCSE level in (a) French, (b) German and (c) Spanish were from (i) independent, (ii) grammar and (iii) maintained schools in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004; and what percentage of each cohort this was in each case.

Stephen Twigg: The following tables show for (A) 2003 and (B) 2004 the numbers of entrants and those achieving grades A*-B at GCSE (a) French, (b) German and (c) Spanish by type of institution, together with the proportions of the whole cohort that these pupil numbers represent:
	
		(A) 2003
		
			   (a) French 
			   Entered Achieving A*-B 
			 School type (admissions basis) Number of 15-year-old pupils Number Percentage of cohort Number Percentage of cohort 
		
		
			 Grammar schools 21,706 13,553 62 10,525 48 
			 Maintained schools 577,791 275,866 48 65,087 11 
			 Independent schools 44,331 28,606 65 22,971 52 
			 All schools 622,122 304,472 49 88,058 14 
		
	
	
		
			   (b) German 
			 School type (admissions basis) Number of 15-year-old pupils Entered  NumberPercentage of cohort Achieving A*-B  NumberPercentage of cohort 
		
		
			 Grammar schools 21,706 8,163 38 5,619 26 
			 Maintained schools 577,791 112,583 19 29,065 5 
			 Independent schools 44,331 8,076 18 6,513 15 
			 All schools 622,122 120,659 19 35,578 6 
		
	
	
		
			   (c) Spanish 
			 School type (admissions basis) Number of 15-year-old pupils Entered  NumberPercentage of cohort Achieving A*-B  NumberPercentage of cohort 
		
		
			 Grammar schools 21,706 3,121 14 2,216 10 
			 Maintained schools 577,791 43,273 7 11,981 2 
			 Independent schools 44,331 8,026 18 6,445 15 
			 All schools 622,122 51,299 8 18,426 3 
		
	
	
		(B) 2004
		
			   (a) French 
			 School type (admissions basis) Number of 15-year-old pupils Entered  NumberPercentage of cohort Achieving A*-B  NumberPercentage of cohort 
		
		
			 Grammar schools 22,241 13,723 62 10,445 47 
			 Maintained schools 596,615 260,346 44 66,350 11 
			 Independent schools 46,959 29,363 63 23,411 50 
			 All schools 643,574 289,709 45 89,761 14 
		
	
	
		
			   (b) German 
			 School type (admissions basis) Number of 15-year-old pupils Entered  NumberPercentage of cohort Achieving A*-B  NumberPercentage of cohort 
		
		
			 Grammar schools 22,241 8,204 37 5,685 26 
			 Maintained schools 596,615 108,189 18 31,462 5 
			 Independent schools 46,959 8,156 17 6,528 14 
			 All schools 643,574 116,345 18 37,990 6 
		
	
	
		
			   (c) Spanish 
			 School type (admissions basis) Number of 15-year-old pupils Entered  NumberPercentage of cohort Achieving A*-B  NumberPercentage of cohort 
		
		
			 Grammar schools 22,241 3,358 15 2,410 11 
			 Maintained schools 596,615 44,909 8 13,665 2 
			 Independent schools 46,959 8,629 18 6,970 15 
			 All schools 643,574 53,538 8 20,635 3

Liverpool Local Education Authority

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding her Department has provided to the Liverpool local education authority in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Total funding (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 252.9 
			 1998–99 262.7 
			 1999–2000 273.1 
			 2000–01 302.1 
			 2001–02 313.5 
			 2002–03 318.8 
			 2003–04 323.6 
			 2004–05 327.9 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Real terms at 2003–04 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 September 2004.
	2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education SSA/EFS settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC in 2003–04 and 2004–05.
	3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 3–19 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level.
	4. Total funding figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million and funding per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest £10 as reported by the LEA.
	5. 2003–04 and 2004–05 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.

Oxford Directory of National Biography

Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was provided to support the new Oxford Directory of National Biography project; at what stage; and through what channels.

Kim Howells: holding answer 7 March 2005
	The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography project received £3.7 million in public funding between 1992 and 2004. Funding was in the form of an annual grant from the British Academy, via Oxford University, to the Oxford University Press (OUP), and supplemented OUP's own investment in the project of over £22 million.

Plymouth Local Education Authority

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total per pupil funding in the Plymouth local education authority area was in (a) 1999 and (b) 2004–05.

Stephen Twigg: In Plymouth LEA the total funding per pupil aged 3 to 19 was £3,000 for 1999–2000 and £3,640 for 2004–05.
	Notes
	1. This figure includes funding via Education Formula Spending and grants allocated at an LEA level. It excludes the pensions transfer to EPS and the Learning and Skills Council, and is in real terms. 2. Real terms at 2003–04 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 September 2004 and rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 3 to 19 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level. 4. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department has issued to local education authorities on reporting of expenditure under section 52 on special educational needs.

Stephen Twigg: My Department issues detailed instructions and guidance on the reporting of expenditure under section 52 on special educational needs to every local education authority in England. I have placed a full copy of those instructions and guidance on section 52 in the House of Commons Library.

Student Loans

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list companies involved in the collection of student loan repayments.

Kim Howells: Mortgage-style student loans are collected by the Student Loans Company (SLC) on behalf of the Government and the Royal Bank of Scotland (the owner of a portfolio of loans sold in 1998). The SLC advises that it also uses the following companies as agencies for arrears collection, although some work might be further outsourced: Allied International Credit; Financial Trace and Collections; J B Debt Recovery; Lewis Group; Logic Group; NCO Financial Services (UK) Ltd.; and Wescot Credit Services.
	A further portfolio of loans, sold to Honours Trustee Limited in 1999, is administered and collected by Ventura (Club 24 Limited), trading as Honours Student Loans. Ventura advises that it also uses the following companies as agents for arrears collection: Clarity Credit Management Solutions Ltd. and Dryden's.
	Income-contingent student loans are collected by the Inland Revenue, mainly through deduction at source by employers.

Under-achievement

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to assist under-achieving pupils in schools in England.

Stephen Twigg: The Primary National Strategy and the KS3 National Strategy (which is developing into a secondary strategy covering the whole 11–16 stage) are designed to raise standards for all pupils by spreading effective teaching and learning to every classroom. Through the national strategies we have provided teachers with a suite of age specific intervention materials which allow children who are struggling to catch up with their peers. Specific programmes, such as the Strategies' English as an Additional Language (EAL) pilot and Aiming High "Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils", also address the needs of particular groups of under-achieving pupils which include African-Caribbean pupils, Gypsy and Traveller pupils, pupils from mainly Muslim backgrounds and isolated minority ethnic pupils. In addition, schools now have access to better data on individual pupils and comparative performance than ever before which enables them to identify underperformance and set appropriately challenging pupil targets.

Future Infantry Structure Review

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the conduct of the Future Infantry Structure Review.

Geoff Hoon: Work to restructure the Infantry has been an important part of our effort to reshape the Army's structure to ensure that it evolves to meet the challenges of current and future operations. The Infantry work was led by the Army itself and involved a consultation period to allow the Infantry divisions to express their views on constructing the future Infantry structure. The results were considered by the Executive Committee of the Army Board, which were then passed to me. I accepted this advice and announced the outcome to the House on 16 December last year.

Infantry Battalions

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) regular and (b) territorial infantry battalions were in service in the British Army (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available.

Ivor Caplin: On 1 April 1997 there were 40 regular and 33 territorial infantry battalions in service in the British Army. Today there are 40 regular and 15 territorial infantry battalions.

Clothing Contracts

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many samples produced in China for battle dress under the cut and sew contract have been tested.

Adam Ingram: All of the samples produced in China were tested at independent accredited test houses in China and the United Kingdom. All tests confirmed that Ministry of Defence specification requirements had been met. The Ministry of Defence requires proof that its specifications are being met and it is the responsibility of the prime contractor to ensure that sufficient samples are submitted for testing.

Departmental Efficiency Programme

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cashable savings attributable to his Department's efficiency programme are for the (a) Disposal Services Agency, (b) Duke of York's Royal Military School, (c) Medical Supply Agency, (d) Ministry of Defence and Guarding Agency and (e) Naval Recruiting and Training Agency for financial years (i) 2006–07 and (ii) 2007–08;
	(2)  what the planned cashable savings attributable to his Department's efficiency programme are for the (a) Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency, (b) Army Training and Recruiting Agency, (c) British Forces Post Office, (d) Defence Analytical Services Agency and (e) Defence Bills Agency for financial years (i) 2006–07 and (ii) 2007–08;
	(3)  what the planned cashable savings attributable to his Department's efficiency programme are for the (a) Defence Communication Services Agency, (b) Defence Dental Agency, (c) Defence Estates, (d) Defence Geographic and Imagery Intelligence Agency and (e) Defence Intelligence and Security Centre for financial years (i) 2006–07 and (ii) 2007–08;
	(4)  what the planned cashable savings attributable to his Department's efficiency programme are for the (a) Pay and Personnel Agency, (b) Queen Victoria School, (c) RAF Training Group Defence Agency, (d) Service Children's Education, (e) Veterans Agency and (f) Warship Support Agency for financial years (i) 2006–07 and (ii) 2007–08.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 18 January 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 January 2005, Official Report, column 242W.

Equipment Programmes

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which equipment programmes have been (a) reassigned, (b) moved and (c) removed from (i) EP04 and (ii) EP05.

Adam Ingram: The broad impact of the outcome of the 2004 equipment planning round (EP04) was described in the Defence White Paper supplement 'Delivering Security in a Changing World: Future Capabilities' (Cm 6269), published in July 2004. However, changes to planning assumptions arising during our annual planning round form part of internal advice to Ministers on the overall affordability of the defence programme. Announcements will continue to be made as appropriate when decisions are taken on specific projects.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Rules of Engagement in Iraq were changed to reflect the transition from war-fighting to military occupation.

Adam Ingram: Two adjustments were made to the United Kingdom Rules of Engagement in Iraq to reflect the transition from war-fighting to military occupation. These took effect on 11 July 2003 and 17 October 2003. A further ROE change was promulgated in November 2004 in recognition of the challenges UK armed forces face in dealing with the current insurgency.
	We do not comment on the content of ROE for reasons of operational security.

Near Air Misses

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 1342W, on Near Air Misses, when he expects to (a) complete his investigations and (b) publish his conclusions.

Ivor Caplin: Investigations into Airprox ("near-miss") incidents in the UK are carried out by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB), not the Ministry of Defence. UKAB is an independent body jointly sponsored by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Defence. The timing of the investigation is a matter for the UKAB.
	The UKAB publishes the results of its investigations twice a year in the form of the report "Analysis of Airprox in UK Airspace". Each report covers a six-month period, and is issued approximately nine months after the end of the period being reported on. Therefore, the report dealing with the Airprox in December 2004 will appear in September or October 2005, and that covering the February incident some six months later.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many parliamentary questions relating to manning control have not been answered due to disproportionate cost since 1997.

Ivor Caplin: Our records indicate that, since 1997, 11 parliamentary questions relating to manning control have not been answered due to disproportionate cost.

Trident

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the last review of command and control procedures for the Trident missile system was (a) started and (b) completed; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1148W. The last such audit took place between February and September 2003. Command and control procedures are routinely exercised.

Begging

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of individuals who were successfully prosecuted for begging in each year since 1990 (a) had a home address and (b) did not have a home address; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many individuals convicted for begging in each year since 1990 were found to have psychiatric problems; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Information relating to the residency or psychiatric condition of a defendant is not centrally collected on the Home Office court proceedings database.
	However, available information on the number and percentage of successful prosecutions for begging under S3 and S4 Vagrancy Act 1824, England and Wales 1990–2003 is contained in the table.
	
		Number and percentage of persons found guilty for begging under S3 and S4 Vagrancy Act 1824, England and Wales, 1990–2003 1
		
			  Total found guilty Percentage found guilty 
		
		
			 1990 1,478 90 
			 1991 1,597 87 
			 1992 1,186 83 
			 1993 1,105 80 
			 1994 1,295 85 
			 1995 1,072 83 
			 1996 1,540 83 
			 1997 1,536 85 
			 1998 1,693 84 
			 1999 2,076 82 
			 2000 2,776 84 
			 2001 2,653 83 
			 2002 3,289 84 
			 2003 3,242 83 
		
	
	(5) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn 2005.

National Offender Management Service

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration was given to merging the Prison and Probation Services into one, prior to the publication of the Carter Report.

Paul Goggins: Organisational issues affecting prisons and probation are discussed from time to time. However there was no formal proposal for a merger of the prisons and probation services, nor any preparation of a business case for this, in the period prior to Lord Carter's review. The Carter review itself did not propose such a merger. The last time such a merger was considered was in the 1998 Prisons—Probation review (final report), available at http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/docs/pprcont.html

Departmental Policies (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Coventry, South constituency, the effects on Coventry, South of changes to his Department's policy since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 9 March 2005
	The Government have put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for the Coventry, South constituency, as well as for all parts of the UK.
	For example, between March 1997 and September 2004, the number of police officers in West Midlands police force increased by 917 from 7,113 to 8,030. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 134 CSOs on West Midlands streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, the West Midlands police force area has seen a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 35 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 28 per cent.
	West Midlands police force is receiving £426.5 million in general grants for 2005–06, an increase of 6.81 per cent. (£27.2 million) over 2004–05. West Midlands also gains around £0.8 million from the Amending Report for 2003–04, bringing the overall increase to 7.0 per cent. General grants funding to West Midlands has increased by 34 per cent. between 1997–98 and 2005–06. In addition to general grants, West Midlands will also receive around £29 million in specific grants funding for targeted initiatives and capital provision in 2005–06. The distribution of resources locally is a matter for the Police Authority and the chief constable.
	As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area has had a local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.
	The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering Government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme. Four CCTV projects in the Coventry CDRP area received a total of £528,226 from the CRP.
	Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £1.93 million has been allocated to Coventry CDRP under these initiatives. A further £2.03 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to the Home Office regional director in the West Midlands for CDRP capacity building across the region.
	It is estimated that out of a million active offenders, 100,000 have three or more convictions and are responsible for half of all crime. There is a Prolific and other Priority Offenders (PPO) scheme in Coventry set up to target those offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour in the community.
	The Government's crime reduction website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk.
	New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. In Coventry a total of 73 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued as of 4 March 2005. Coventry is one of the 50 antisocial behaviour action areas across the country set to get extra help to tackle antisocial behaviour. In addition, £25,000 has been awarded to Coventry to tackle families who cause nuisance and misery. Nuisance neighbours are offered intensive family support and given a "last chance" to turn around their behaviour, by nuisance neighbour expert panels. Local contacts for tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp.
	Tackling drug misuse is a priority of this Government and their policy is set out in the 10-year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the Library.) Under this, the Government have invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focussing on the four strands of:
	reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
	preventing young people from becoming problematic drug users;
	providing effective treatment to all who need it; and
	reducing drug-related crime.
	Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Coventry has seen a significant increase in direct funding for tackling drugs, in particular for drug treatment services and the through care and aftercare elements of the Drug Interventions Programme. In 2003–04 the allocation for Coventry drug action team amounted to £2.08 million, rising to £2.83 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs in the Coventry, South constituency can be obtained from the Coventry drugs action team, for contact details see http://www.drugs.gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams.
	The Government are working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the future builders fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk.
	This year, 2005, is the year of the volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org.
	Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Driving Convictions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for (a) causing death by dangerous driving, (b) dangerous driving and (c) careless driving there were in Greater London in each year since 2000.

Caroline Flint: Available information for the years 2000 to 2002 (latest available) is given in the table.
	2003 data will be available shortly.
	
		Findings of guilt at all courts for specific offences, Greater London(6), 2000–02 Number of offences
		
			 Offence 2000 (7)2001 2002 
		
		
			 Causing death by dangerous driving(8) 23 20 24 
			 Dangerous driving(9) 444 485 561 
			 Careless driving(10) 6,168 5,277 4,691 
		
	
	(6) Includes City and Metropolitan police forces.
	(7) Figures amended since publication of the Home Office 'Offences relating to motor vehicles England and Wales 2001 Supplementary tables'.
	(8) Offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, s1 as amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 s1 and Criminal Justice Act 1993 s67.
	(9) Offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s2 as amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 s2.
	(10) Offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s3, ss 12(1), 26(2), 33(3) and 168; Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 Regs 19,104–107 and 109.

Drugs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the prevalence of drug use data relating to the British Crime Survey 2003–04.

Charles Clarke: I expect the report "Drug Misuse Declared: Key findings from the 2003–04 British Crime Survey" to be published shortly.

Illegal Immigration

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal entrants to the UK have been detected for each of the past five years.

Des Browne: holding answer 1 February 2005
	The following table shows published data on persons against whom illegal entry action was initiated for each of the past five years. Data was not of sufficient quality for publication in 2003, however it is estimated that 22,950 persons had illegal entry action initiated against them in this year. This figure is based on management information and does not constitute a national statistic. Data for 2004 will be published later this year. Illegal entry action is initiated against those people who are detected having entered or attempted to enter the country clandestinely or by means of deception, either verbal or documentary.
	
		Persons against whom illegal entry action was initiated, 2000 to 2004 1
		
			  Total persons 
		
		
			 2000 47,325 
			 2001 69,875 
			 2002 48,050 
			 2003 — 
			 2004(12) — 
		
	
	(11) Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
	(12) Not available
	Official statistics on immigration matters are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Annual data for 2004 will be available in summer 2005.

Policies

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies in the areas of (a) crime reduction, (b) antisocial behaviour, (c) policing and (d) active communities have been put in place since 1997 by his Department (i) for all parts of the UK and (ii) in Scotland.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 4 March 2005
	The Government has put in place policies in the areas of crime reduction, antisocial behaviour, policing and active communities that are yielding considerable benefits for all parts of the UK. For Scotland these are devolved matters for the Scottish Executive and for Northern Ireland are matters for the Northern Ireland Office.
	In England and Wales between March 1997 and September 2004, the number of police officers increased by 12,977 from 127,158 to 140,135. The Government's introduction of community support officers (CSOs) in 2002 has put 4,599 CSOs on the streets to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. Between 1997 and 2003–04, there has been a reduction in recorded domestic burglary crimes of 23 per cent. and in recorded vehicle crimes of 20 per cent.
	Expenditure on policing supported by Government grant or spent centrally on services for the police in England and Wales has increased by over 53 per cent. (26 per cent. in real terms) between 1997–98 and 2005–06.
	As crime prevention requires action across communities, every area in England and Wales has had a local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) since 1998 which brings together the police, health services, drugs agencies and council and community representatives to decide how to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour.
	The Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) was a pioneering Government intervention programme which ran for three years from April 1999 in England and Wales and took an evidence-based approach to crime reduction. Grants of over £340 million were allocated to over 1,470 projects, including CCTV, under 20 initiatives that formed part of the programme.
	Since 2001, successive initiatives have provided direct funding to each of the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales. These initiatives include Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative, the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas scheme and the Building Safer Communities Fund. Since 2001, a total of £301.3 million has been allocated under these initiatives. A further £20 million has been provided over the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05 to Home Office Regional Directors for CDRP capacity building.
	The Government's Crime Reduction Website provides further information on the work being done to reduce crime across the country, including information about action and results in local areas. It is available at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk
	New legislation has given local agencies a raft of powers, from antisocial behaviour orders to local dispersal orders and crack house closure powers, to work with local people to tackle antisocial behaviour and nuisance. There are currently 50 TOGETHER antisocial behaviour action areas in England and Wales. Between April 1999 and September 2004 a total of 3,826 antisocial behaviour orders have been issued. Further information on tackling antisocial behaviour can be found on http://www.together.gov.uk/authority.asp
	Tackling Drug Misuse is a priority of this Government and its policy is set out in the 10 year National Drug Strategy launched in 1998 and updated in December 2002. (A copy of the Updated Drug Strategy 2002 is held in the House Library.) Under this, the Government has invested substantially in measures to reduce the harms caused by illegal drugs, focussing on the four strands of:
	reducing the supply of illegal drugs;
	preventing young people from becoming problematic drug users;
	providing effective treatment to all who need it; and
	reducing drug-related crime.
	Direct annual funding nationally to tackle drug misuse amounted to £1,244 million in 2003–04, rising to £1,344 million in 2004–05. Details of action taken to tackle drugs can be obtained from http://www.drugs. gov.uk/Links/DrugActionTeams
	The Government is working to ensure that citizens, communities and the voluntary sector are more fully engaged in tackling social problems, and there is more equality of opportunity and respect for people of all races and religions. The Home Office has allocated £15 million in grants under the Connecting Communities race equality grant scheme over the three years (2003–06). Active community participation in England has increased by 1.5 million people between 2001 and 2003. Charities have been supported more effectively, and £125 million is being invested across the country through the futurebuilders fund in voluntary and community organisations that help provide valuable public services. Advice on ways to engage local people in helping their communities is available on the Active Citizenship Centre website http://www.active-citizen.org.uk
	This year, 2005, is the year of the Volunteer which is being delivered by the Home Office in partnership with Community Service Volunteers and Volunteering England. This will include a whole range of events in local communities across the country that aim to celebrate the contribution which volunteers make to the quality of people's lives, and encourage more people to volunteer. We are particularly keen to encourage young people, black and minority ethnic groups, those with no qualifications and disabled people to get involved. More details can be found at www.yearofthevolunteer.org
	Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in the Home Office Annual Report and in the Strategic Plan for 2004–08, available on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the governors of each prison as at 1 November together with their length of service (a) as a prison officer and (b) as a governor .

Paul Goggins: A list of current governing governors of public sector Prison Service establishments together with information on the length of time they have served as governing governor at any establishment is contained in the following table. Comprehensive information on time spent in officer grades is not readily available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the career histories of directors of contracted (privately) managed establishments is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. The directors of contracted establishments are:
	
		
			 Establishment Director 
		
		
			 Altcourse John McLaughlin 
			 Ashfield Vicky O'Dea 
			 Bronzefield Janine McDowell 
			 Doncaster Rod MacFarquar 
			 Dovegate Kevin Rogers 
			 Forest Bank Ivor Woods 
			 Lowdham Grange Peter Wright 
			 Pare Roy Woolford 
			 Rye Hill Stuart Mitson 
			 Wolds Dave McDonnell 
		
	
	
		
			 Establishment Current governing Governor Time served at any establishment as governing Governor 
		
		
			 Acklington Mike Kirby 9 years 2 months 
			 Albany Mel Jones 2 years 7 months 
			 Ashwell Chris Di Paolo 0 years 8 months 
			 Askham Grange Dawn Elaine 3 years 2 months 
			 Aylesbury David Kennedy 4 years 0 months 
			 Bedford Guy Baulf 0 years 9 months 
			 Belmarsh Geoff Hughes 5 years 4 months 
			 Birmingham Mike Shann 6 years 6 months 
			 Blakenhurst Ferdie Parker 1 years 5 months 
			 Blantyre House Kieron Taylor 0 years 1 months 
			 Blundeston Teresa Clarke 1 years 7 months 
			 Brinsford Tom Watson 3 years 9 months 
			 Bristol Mick Bell 3 years 6 months 
			 Brixton John Podmore 4 years 0 months 
			 Brockhill Barbara Treen 2 years 6 months 
			 Buckley Hall Sue Morrison 2 years 7 months 
			 Bullingdon Sue Saunders 2 years 6 months 
			 Bullwood Hall Mukhtar Poselay 0 years 1 months 
			 Camp Hill Bob Bennett 7 years 2 months 
			 Canterbury Helen Rinaldi 2 years 7 months 
			 Cardiff Paul Tidball 7 years 8 months 
			 Castington Matt Spencer 0 years 10 months 
			 Channings Wood Nick Evans 7 years 7 months 
			 Chelmsford Steve Rodford 1 years 3 months 
			 Coldingley Paul McDowell 0 years 10 months 
			 Cookham Wood Ed Tullett 0 years 11 months 
			 Dartmoor Claudia Sturt 1 years 4 months 
			 Deerbolt Alan Tallentire 1 years 11 months 
			 Dorchester Steve Holland 2 years 7 months 
			 Dover Val Whitecross 2 years 0 months 
			 Downview Peter Dawson 0 years 8 months 
			 Drake Hall John Huntingdon 1 years 3 months 
			 Durham Mike Newell 8 years 8 months 
			 East Sutton Park Robin Carter 5 years 9 months 
			 Eastwood Park Tim Beeston 5 years 6 months 
			 Edmund's Hill Norma King 0 years 1 months 
			 Elmley Chris Bartlett 4 years 6 months 
			 Erlestoke Clive Broom 1 years 1 months 
			 Everthorpe Amy Rice 1 years 7 months 
			 Exeter lan Mulholland 2 years 9 months 
			 Featherstone Mike Bolton 4 years 6 months 
			 Feltham Andrew Cross 4 years 1 months 
			 Ford Fiona Radford 1 years 0 months 
			 Foston Hall Paddy Scriven 7 years 10 months 
			 Frankland Phil Copple 4 years 8 months 
			 Full Sutton Bob Mullen 6 years 2 months 
			 Garth Bob McColm 3 years 2 months 
			 Gartree Rannoch Daly 7 years 10 months 
			 Glen Parva Brian Edwards 2 years 9 months 
			 Gloucester David Chalmers 3 years 7 months 
			 Grendon Peter Bennett 4 years 2 months 
			 Guys Marsh Barry Greenberry 3 years 10 months 
			 Haslar Carole Draper 0 years 9 months 
			 Haverigg Sue McCullagh 1 years 8 months 
			 Hewell Grange Alison Gomme 5 years 7 months 
			 Highdown Sian West 5 years 0 months 
			 Highpoint Sue Doolan 4 years 4 months 
			 Hindley Jayne Blake 5 years 0 months 
			 Hollesley Bay Michael Wood 1 years 10 months 
			 Holloway Tony Hassall 3 years 0 months 
			 Holme House Mick Lees 7 years 8 months 
			 Hull Mark Read 4 years 4 months 
			 Huntercombe Elaine Jones 2 years 10 months 
			 Kingston John Robinson 4 years 7 months 
			 Kirkham Steve Lawrence 1 years 8 months 
			 Kirklevington Alan Richer 2 years 5 months 
			 Lancaster Castle Derek Harrison 1 years 1 months 
			 Lancaster Farms Terry Williams 1 years 5 months 
			 Latchmere House Terry Hinchliffe 6 years 4 months 
			 Leeds lan Blakeman 1 years 10 months 
			 Leicester Steve Turner 1 years 2 months 
			 Lewes Eoin McLennan-Murray 1 years 1 months 
			 Leyhill Richard Booty 5 years 4 months 
			 Lincoln Lynne Saunders 0 years 7 months 
			 Lindholme Martin Ward 3 years 7 months 
			 Littlehey Julia Morgan 3 years 10 months 
			 Liverpool Cathy James 4 years 11 months 
			 Long Lartin Nick Leader 3 years 3 months 
			 Low Newton Dave Thompson 3 years 1 months 
			 Maidstone Jane Galbally 6 years 4 months 
			 Manchester Chris Sheffield 5 years 7 months 
			 Moorland Jacqui Tilley 1 years 11 months 
			 Morton Hall Damian Evans 0 years 5 months 
			 New Hall Sara Snell 3 years 10 months 
			 North Sea Camp K Beaumont Suspended 6 years 4 months 
			 Northallerton Bill Shaw 3 years 0 months 
			 Norwich Jerry Knight 6 years 0 months 
			 Nottingham Wendy Sinclair-Gieben 0 years 1 months 
			 Onley Alison Perry 0 years 7 months 
			 Parkhurst Steve Metcalf 4 years 2 months 
			 Pentonville Gareth Davies 10 years 1 months 
			 Portland Steve Twinn 1 years 9 months 
			 Preston Alan Brown 2 years 4 months 
			 Ranby Phil Wragg 2 years 4 months 
			 Reading Pauline Bryant 0 years 6 months 
			 Risley Paul Norbury 3 years 10 months 
			 Rochester Stephen O'Connell 0 years 2 months 
			 Send Brian Ritchie 1 years 10 months 
			 Shepton Mallet Bryan McAlley Suspended (Suzy Dymond-White temp gov.) 3 years 6 months 
			 Shrewsbury Vacant/advertised — 
			 Stafford Louise Taylor 4 years 4 months 
			 Standford Hill John Wilson 1 years 0 months 
			 Stocken Moira Barlett 1 years 2 months 
			 Stoke Heath Peter Small 0 years 10 months 
			 Styal Steve Hall 0 years 9 months 
			 Sudbury Chris Davidson 6 years 2 months 
			 Swaleside Tony Robson 5 years 5 months 
			 Swansea Phil Taylor 1 years 9 months 
			 Swinfen Hall Peter Knapton 2 years 4 months 
			 The Mount Paul Wailen 8 years 0 months 
			 The Verne Mike Cook 5 years 5 months 
			 Thorn Cross Clive Chatterton 0 years 3 months 
			 Usk/Prescoed Phil Morgan 1 years 6 months 
			 Wakefield John Slater 4 years 4 months 
			 Wandsworth Jim Heavens 5 years 3 months 
			 Warren Hill Stuart Robinson 4 years 5 months 
			 Wayland James Shanley 2 years 2 months 
			 Wealstun Steve Tilley 1 years 9 months 
			 Weare Denise Calvert 5 years 6 months 
			 Wellingborough Jim Lewis 2 years 1 months 
			 Werrington Frank Flynn 1 years 10 months 
			 Wetherby Paul Foweather 0 years 9 months 
			 Whatton Viv Hart 5 years 11 months 
			 Whitemoor Martin Lomas 1 years 6 months 
			 Winchester Cathy Allison 3 years 2 months 
			 Woodhill Edd Willetts 4 years 7 months 
			 Wormwood Scrubs Luke Serjeant 4 years 1 months 
			 Wymott Alan Scott 5 years 6 months

Prisons

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  by how much the Prison Service's budget has changed in 2004–05; and what the planned budget is for each of the next three years;
	(2)  what changes have been made to the operational budgets of prisons in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The original budget allocation to the Public Prison Service for 2004–05 was as follows:
	Resource costs budget—£2,202.7 million
	Capital budget—£205.9 million
	Changes from the original allocations were made during the year. Additional funding from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) for immigration detainees held at Dover and Haslar, and End Year Flexibility for resource funding (£7 million) and capital funding (£65 million) increased the budget.
	
		Persons aged 10 and under 18 proceeded against at magistrates' courts for certain alcohol related offences, by London borough 1990 to 2003 1
		
			 Offence/London borough 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 
		
		
			 Drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on a licensed premises
			 Inner London magistrates' courts(15)
			 
			 City of London Police
			 Guildhall Justice Rooms — — — — — — — 
			 
			 Metropolitan Police
			 Bow Street(16) — — 1 — — — — 
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge  2 — — — — — 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich — — 1 — — — — 
			 Highbury Corner(17) 1 — — — — — — 
			 Horseferry Road — — 1 — — — — 
			 Marylebone — — — — — — — 
			 South Western — — — — — — — 
			 Thames — — — — — — — 
			 West London 3 — — — — — — 
			 Inner London Juvenile Courts(18) 4 — 1 — — — 1 
			 
			 Outer London Boroughs
			 Metropolitan Police
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — — — — — 
			 Barnet — — — — — — — 
			 Bexley — — — — —— — — 
			 Brent — — 1 — 1 — — 
			 Bromley — — 1 — — — — 
			 Croydon — — 1 — — — — 
			 Ealing — — — — — — — 
			 Enfield — — — — — — — 
			 Haringey — — — — — — — 
			 Harrow — — — — — — — 
			 Havering — — — — — — — 
			 Hillingdon — — 1 — — — — 
			 Hounslow 1 — — — 1 — 1 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 2 — — 1 — — — 
			 Merton — — — — — — — 
			 Newham — — — — 1 — — 
			 Redbridge — — — — — — — 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — — — — — — 
			 Sutton — — — — — — — 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — — — — 
			 Total Metropolitan Police 3 — 4 1 3 - 1 
			 Total Greater London 11 2 8 1 3 - 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence/London borough 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on a licensed premises
			 Inner London magistrates' courts(15)
			   
			 City of London Police
			 Guildhall Justice Rooms — — — — — — — 
			 
			 Metropolitan Police
			 Bow Street(16) — — — — — — — 
			 Camberwell Green/Tower Bridge — — — 3 — 1 — 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich — — — — — — — 
			 Highbury Corner(17) — — — — — — — 
			 Horseferry Road — — — — — — — 
			 Marylebone — — — — — — — 
			 South Western — — — — — — — 
			 Thames — — — — — — — 
			 West London — 1 1 2 1 — 1 
			 Inner London Juvenile Courts(18) — — — — — — — 
			 
			 Outer London Boroughs
			 Metropolitan Police
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — — 2 — — 
			 Barnet — — — — — — — 
			 Bexley — — — — 1 — 3 
			 Brent — — — — — — — 
			 Bromley — — — — 1 — — 
			 Croydon — — — — 1 — — 
			 Ealing 1 — — — — — — 
			 Enfield — — — — — — — 
			 Haringey — — — — — 1 — 
			 Harrow — — — — — — — 
			 Havering — — — — 1 1 — 
			 Hillingdon — — — 1 — — — 
			 Hounslow — — — 1 1 — — 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames — 1 — — — — — 
			 Merton — — — 1 2 — — 
			 Newham — — — — — — — 
			 Redbridge — — — — — — — 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Sutton 1 — — 1 — 1 1 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — — — — 
			 Total Metropolitan Police 2 1 1 5 10 4 5 
			 Total Greater London 2 2 2 10 11 5 6 
		
	
	(14) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(15) Information held centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by borough in the Inner London Area.
	(16) Includes Marlborough Street 1997–99.
	(17) Includes Clerkenwell and Hampstead, 1997–98.
	(18) Cases included with adult courts from 1998 (from 1999 for cases heard at the Crown Court).
	
		Number of penalty notices for disorder issued in London(19) for offences relating to alcohol—2004 (provisional figures)
		
			  Offence  Statute Number of notices issued 
		
		
			 Offences committed by juveniles aged 16 and 17 years 
			 Drunk and disorderly Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec 91 22 
			 Being drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises Licensing Act 1872 Sec 12 2 
			 Consumption of alcohol in designated public place Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 Sec 12 — 
			 Consumption of alcohol by under 18 in licensed premises(20) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169E(1) — 
			
			 Offences involving the purchase for, sale or delivery to, persons aged under 18 years 
			 Sell alcohol to person under 18(20) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169A 5 
			 Purchase of alcohol in licensed premises for person under 18(20) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169C(2) — 
			 Purchase of alcohol for consumption in bar of licensed premises for person under 18 Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169C(3) 2 
			 Allowing consumption of alcohol by under 18 in bar of licensed premises(20) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169E(2) — 
			 Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing delivery(20) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169F 3 
		
	
	(19) City of London and Metropolitan Police Force areas.
	(20) Offence added to PND scheme only from 1 November 2004.
	This will result in a final budget of:
	Resource costs budget—£2214.3 million
	Capital budget—£288.9 million
	The baseline budget for 2005–06 is:
	Resource costs budget—£2406 million
	Capital budget—£182 million
	Budgets for 2006–07 and 2007–08 have not yet been finalised.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of family visits to prisoners on prisoners' prospects of (a) accommodation and (b) employment on release; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The "Resettlement outcomes on release from prison in 2003" report was published on the Home Office website on 24 February 2005.
	The findings indicate that good family ties, as measured by the fact of at least one family or partner visit during custody, were strongly associated with prisoners having positive expectations of accommodation and employment arranged prior to release.

Prisons

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the re-offending rates for (a) individuals who participated in rehabilitation programmes and (b) individuals who did not participate in rehabilitation programmes during their time in prison have been in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: Reconviction rates for adults and juveniles are published on an annual basis, to assist with the measurement of the PSA target on reducing reconvictions. Information on reconviction rates from rehabilitation programmes undertaken in prison are not recorded centrally, so it is not possible to calculate reconviction rates separately for these offenders.
	Although reconviction rates for those who participated in rehabilitation programmes are not available on a yearly basis, evaluations of rehabilitation programmes for prisoners are and have been regularly undertaken. The results of those that have been completed can be found in Home Office Research Study 291, which reviews the evidence on the impact of corrections on re-offending.
	The most recent national figures for reconviction rates are published as on line reports RDS OLR 08/05—Juvenile reconviction: results from the 2003 cohort (February 2005) and RDS OLR 59/04—Adult reconviction: results from the 2001 cohort (December 2004).

Sexual Abuse

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of individuals under the age of 18 years who were sexually abused in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: In the recorded crime series there are four sexual offences where, by definition, the victim is a child. The available statistics for the last two years are given in the table. It is not possible to identify the age of the victim for other offences within the sexual offences group.
	
		Recorded sexual offences against children in England and Wales Number of offences
		
			 Offence 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 184 212 
			 Unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 1,515 1,907 
			 Gross indecency with a child 1,880 1,942 
			 Abuse of position of trust 678 792

Correspondence

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington, dated 22 November 2004, on behalf of a constituent Mr. Dave Bush, which was originally sent to the Lord Chancellor and forwarded to her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 7 March 2005
	I responded to the letter from my right hon. Friend on 2 March. I have asked my office to send another copy of the letter to his office.

Dounreay Nuclear Power Station

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will establish an inquiry into possible risks to human health from irradiated material found on Sandside Beach, Caithness and the conduct of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in dealing with the material.

Mike O'Brien: Public health is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.
	However I am informed that in recent years, a number of independent expert organisations including the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee and the National Radiological Protection Board have investigated and advised the Government, UKAEA and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on the potential health risks from particles of radioactive material found on Sandside Beach. This advice has considered both the likelihood of exposure to such a particle by inhalation, ingestion or skin contact and the resultant health risks should such an exposure occur. COMARE tells the DTI that the probability of a member of the public encountering a particle remains extremely small and the estimated radiation dose to an individual consequent upon ingestion of a typical particle from Sandside Bay is roughly equivalent to the average UK-annual background radiation dose (2 milliSieverts). SEPA has commissioned additional research to further refine this latter estimate.

Energy Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of the Energy Council meeting held on 28 to 29 November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I refer to my previous answer to my hon. Friend.
	I represented the UK at the EU Energy Council in Brussels on 29 November.The Council considered several matters of interest to the United Kingdom. Chief among these were the Energy Services Directive and the Security of Electricity Supply Directive.
	A general approach on the Security of Electricity Supply Directive was agreed, though the Commission, which seeks a more interventionist regulator-led approach to promote actively new interconnector build and thereby competition, maintained a reserve on Article 7 on interconnector construction.
	Council conclusions were agreed on the Commission's Communication on the share of Renewable Energy in the EU.
	An orientation debate was held on the proposed Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive. Member states expressed a strong preference for indicative not mandatory energy saving targets though views were mixed on whether a uniform target at EU level would be helpful; many delegations preferred individually set targets. There was general recognition that the public sector could play a leading role in promoting energy efficiency but the majority of member states opposed specific targets for the sector. On the question of the placing of obligations on suppliers there was a clear preference for a broader more flexible approach rather than a focus on one energy efficiency approach-energy services. There was broad agreement that a harmonised approach to measuring energy savings was needed, but there was a split on whether a top down or bottom up approach was best.
	The UK noted our support for a uniform, but indicative, six-year target taking account of already captured efficiency gains; a more broadly defined obligation on energy suppliers to actively offer and promote energy efficiency; and agreement with the Presidency proposal for either a top down or a hybrid approach to measuring efficiency gains.
	The Commission's preference for a mandatory target reflected what they saw as the poor record of achievement against indicative targets and they suggested that flexible mandatory targets might be the way forward. The Presidency concluded by proposing an annual debate on progress towards achieving indicative national targets, the first of which would fall to the UK Presidency, and looked forward to concluding the dossier in the Luxembourg Presidency.
	The Commission reported progress on the negotiations of the Energy Community for South East Europe Treaty, which it hoped would be a model for other sectors. Signature was foreseen for 2005. Some member states had substantive comments on the language regime, others on the distinction between participating and observing member states. The next negotiation meeting on 13 December will be an opportunity to discuss outstanding matters.
	The Commission reported on its communication on progress on the EU/Russia energy dialogue 2000–04, claiming it showed positive outcomes across a range of fields. More progress in Russia was needed on the reform process, energy efficiency and Kyoto implementation, promoting and protecting investment and positive developments in the gas and oil markets. The Commission undertook fully to involve member states.
	The Presidency concluded by noting, in the context of the recent "Energy in Motion" conference aimed at improving cleaner road traffic, that transport accounted for a third of energy consumption. The conference conclusions would be discussed at the next Transport and Environment Councils and the Commission were urged to take account of them.
	Luxembourg finished by saying they would take forward the Dutch Presidency approaches and singled out Energy TENS as a priority dossier.

Equality Bill

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is the intention that the provisions of the Equality Bill should change the legal status of certain types of religious discrimination.

Patricia Hewitt: The Equality Bill, which was published on 3 March with its explanatory notes, will make unlawful (save for the exemptions specified in the Bill) discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in respect of the provision of goods, facilities and services, the management and disposal of premises, education, and public functions. The Bill does not affect the scope of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, which already make unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in respect of employment and vocational training. The definition of "religion" and "belief" for the purposes of these Regulations has been reformulated, but this does not have any material impact on the effect of the Regulations.

Gender Pay Gap

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the gender pay gap for full-time workers in her Department was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004.

Patricia Hewitt: The difference between male and female salaries for the DTI as at 1 April 2004 was 16 per cent. 1 The earliest period for which I can give an accurate comparable figure is April 2001 when it was 18 per cent.
	The DTI has successfully taken measures to reduce the gender pay gap and continues to do so. In 2003 a new pay system was introduced as part of a 3 year proposal and includes transparent pay progression to a target rate for the job within a specified period of time. Moreover, there has been significant shortening of pay scales over the past two years and further action is planned this year.
	Diversity implications are considered as a matter of importance, and continuous promotion of flexible working practices and family friendly policies encourage women to join the DTI and to stay. The Department has also introduced a course "Development for Women" which is specifically targeted at helping women develop their careers within DTI.
	1 median of full time equivalent salary for all staff working across the whole organisation

Pregnancy Discrimination

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the results of the Equal Opportunities Commission's formal investigation into pregnancy discrimination were.

Patricia Hewitt: The Equal Opportunities Commission is due to publish the final report and recommendations of its General Formal Investigation into pregnancy discrimination later this year. An Interim Report was published in September 2004 and can be obtained from the EOC website at
	http://www.eoc.org.uk/cseng/policyandcampaigns/ p interimreport.pdf
	The Government welcome the EOC's investigation and look forward to receiving the final report and recommendations.

Solar Power

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to ensure continuity of capital grant support for domestic and other small installations under stream 1 of the solar PV Major Demonstration Programme when current funding ends in August; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The DTI is monitoring the number of applications made under Stream 1 of the Major PV Demonstration Programme. When this programme ends in March 2006 the Department will continue its support for PV through a "low carbon buildings" programme. The low carbon buildings programme is currently under development and there will be formal consultation on this this year. The programme is expected to being operating in 2006–07.

Women's Employment

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to assist black and ethnic minority women's (a) entry to and (b) progression in the workplace.

Patricia Hewitt: DTI is working with a cross-Whitehall group, led by the Department for Work and Pensions, to tackle the barriers to labour market participation faced by ethnic minorities. This work stems from the Strategy Unit Report "Ethnic minorities in the Labour Market" published in March 2003. DTIs specific contribution is around working with business to promote race equality and diversity in the workplace and promoting enterprise.
	DTI also shares a Public Service Agreement "in the three years to 2006, taking account of the economic cycle, to increase the employment rate and significantly reduce the difference between the overall employment rate and the employment rate of ethnic minorities". This will clearly benefit women as well as men.

Women's Employment

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the number of black and ethnic minority women who believe that they are working below their potential, with particular reference to black and ethnic minority women who (a) are working in jobs where they have less of a role in staff management or supervision than they did in previous jobs and (b) made more use of higher qualifications or higher skills levels in previous jobs; and what estimate she has made of the economic cost of black and ethnic minority women working below their potential in the latest year for which figures are available.

Patricia Hewitt: DTI is working with a cross-Whitehall group, led by the Department for Work and Pensions, to tackle the barriers to labour market participation faced by ethnic minorities. This work stems from the Strategy Unit Report "Ethnic minorities in the Labour Market" published in March 2003. DTIs specific contribution is around working with business to promote race equality and diversity in the workplace and promoting enterprise.
	Through the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force we are committed to closing the employment gap for ethnic minorities. The employment gap is decreasing but remains substantial. Ethnic minorities are twice as likely to be unemployed and one and a half times as likely to be economically inactive as the overall working age population. Economic activity varies considerably between ethnic minority groups and by gender. The Indian and Black Caribbean ethnic groups have the highest employment rates and the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups have the lowest. For most ethnic groups, the employment rate for women is well below that for men.
	The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force Year 1 Progress Report was published in November 2004 and can be accessed at www.emetaskforce.gov.uk.

Alcohol-related Deaths

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how many (a) women and (b) men alcohol was found to be the primary cause of death in each year since 1997, broken down by age group.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Amess, dated 14 March 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for how many (a) women and (b) men alcohol was found to be the primary cause of death in each year since 1997, broken down by age group. (221245)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2003. The attached table shows the number of deaths by sex and age group that were certified as due to alcohol abuse, dependence and poisoning, and diseases directly related to alcohol use from 1997 to 2003.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption. Apart from deaths due to accidental poisoning with alcohol, this definition excludes external causes of death, such as road traffic deaths and other accidents, and alcohol-related suicides and homicides. Estimates of the annual total number of deaths in which alcohol has played a role can therefore vary widely depending on the criteria used. The definition used by ONS allows for consistent comparisons over time for those deaths where a clear association with alcohol consumption can generally be assumed.
	
		Number of deaths from alcohol-related causes(25), for (a) women and (b) men by age group, England and Wales, 1997 to 2003 2
		
			 Calendar year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 (a) Women
			 Under 15 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 
			 15–44 283 307 381 373 351 397 412 
			 45–64 822 911 938 973 1,066 1,044 1,122 
			 65–84 682 687 661 684 677 695 691 
			 85 and over 68 57 72 57 76 82 74 
			 (b) Men
			 Under 15 3 1 1 1 0 1 1 
			 15–44 619 726 698 714 111 768 842 
			 45–64 1,572 1,694 1,852 1,954 2,066 2,040 2,380 
			 65–84 808 848 846 812 894 941 1,008 
			 85 and over 38 46 55 45 63 65 50 
		
	
	(25) For the years 1997–2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes selected to define alcohol-related deaths are listed as follows:
	291—Alcoholic psychoses
	303—Alcohol dependence syndrome
	305.0—Non-dependent abuse of alcohol
	425.5—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	571—Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
	E860—Accidental poisoning by alcohol
	For the years 2001–2003 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used. To maintain comparability with earlier years the following codes were selected:
	F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6—Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70—Alcoholic liver disease
	K73—Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74—Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45—Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
	The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A. and Rooney C. (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp 5–14.
	(26) Data are for occurrences of death in each calendar year.

Departmental Accounts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Ministers in his Department have issued written instructions to override his Department's accounting officer's objections since 1997.

Stephen Timms: No such directions have been issued by Treasury Ministers since 1997. The Treasury, which has a wider policy responsibility for the financial accountability mechanisms under which such directions are issued, has not been notified of any directions by Ministers in Departments to their Accounting Officers beyond those already disclosed to Parliament in the following written answers:
	The former Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Andrew Smith) on 23 October 2000, Official Report, columns 73–74W and 8 May 2002, Official Report, columns 253–54W; myself on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 1037W; the Economic Secretary (John Healey) on 13 January 2003, Official Report, column 412W and 23 June 2003, Official Report, columns 618–19W; and the former Financial Secretary (Ruth Kelly) on 30 October 2003, Official Report, columns 319–320W and 24 March 2004, Official Report, column 341W.
	The circumstances in which an Accounting Officer should seek a direction from a Minister before authorising expenditure are set out in paragraphs 15–18 of the Treasury document, "The Responsibilities of an Accounting Officer" (as updated in March 2004). This document is published as Annex 4.1 of the Treasury guidance, Government Accounting and is accessible at www.government-accounting.gov.uk.

Dothiepin Deaths

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths have occurred in each of the last 10 years in which death certificates cited Dothiepin as a possible cause.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 14 March 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths have occurred in each of the last 10 years in which death certificates cited dothiepin as a possible cause. (221628)
	Readily available figures relate to deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning. The most recently available information is for deaths in 2003. Figures are shown in the table below for the calendar years 1994 to 2003.
	
		Number of deaths from drug-related poisoning(27), involving dothiepin(28), England and Wales, 1994 to 2003 3
		
			  Dothiepin 
		
		
			 1994 262 
			 1995 235 
			 1996 279 
			 1997 262 
			 1998 244 
			 1999 219 
			 2000 201 
			 2001 170 
			 2002 159 
			 2003 142 
		
	
	(27) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 292, 304, 305.2–305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E962.0 and E980.0-E980.5 for 1993 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and Y10-Y14from 2001 onwards.
	(28) Drugs mentioned on the death certificate of a death where the underlying cause was drug poisoning.
	(29) Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.
	Source:
	Tables of deaths related to drug poisoning on the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product. asp?vlnk=11695

European Union

Ian Davidson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) net and (b) gross contributions by the UK to the EU in each year since 1975, in pounds sterling at 2005 value; and if he will break down the contributions by (i) traditional own resources, (ii) VAT and (iii) GNI contributions.

Stephen Timms: A breakdown of contributions by category, including the UK abatement, in real prices, is published in the Government's Annual Reports on EC Finances, latest edition published in April 2004 (Cm 6134). We do not have this information in constant prices, or going back to 1975.
	UK net contributions and gross contributions after abatement for the period 1975 to 2003 at 2003 prices, the latest information available, were:
	
		£ million, constant 2003 prices
		
			  Gross contribution after abatement  Net contribution 
		
		
			 1975 3,561 -583 
			 1976 4,076 1,470 
			 1977 5,577 2,792 
			 1978 8,846 5,394 
			 1979 8,961 5,284 
			 1980 7,967 3,370 
			 1981 6,446 1,728 
			 1982 7,329 2,408 
			 1983 7,889 2,353 
			 1984 9,084 2,227 
			 1985 11,520 5,609 
			 1986 8,063 1,652 
			 1987 10,626 4,516 
			 1988 8,332 3,202 
			 1989 9,490 4,958 
			 1990 9,204 4,891 
			 1991 6,219 1,023 
			 1992 8,761 3,661 
			 1993 9,346 3,698 
			 1994 8,842 3,578 
			 1995 11,777 6,158 
			 1996 9,705 3,391 
			 1997 8,506 2,171 
			 1998 11,174 5,896 
			 1999 8,678 4,435 
			 2000 9,769 4,856 
			 2001 5,337 1,538 
			 2002 6,687 3,310 
			 2003 7,407 3,682 
		
	
	Source:
	Current price figures for individual years published by HM Treasury converted to constant prices using latest HM Treasury GDP Deflators.

Medical Drug Deaths

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths have occurred in each of the last 10 years in which death certificates cited as a possible cause (a) co-proxamol, (b) paracetamol, (c) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, (d) selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, (e) codeine, (d) Cox 11 inhibitors and (f) cerivastatin.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 14 March 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths have occurred in each of the last 10 years in which death certificates cited as a possible cause (a) co-proxamol, (b) paracetamol, (c) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, (d) selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors, (e) codeine, (f) Cox-2 inhibitors, and (g) cerivastatin. (221368)
	Readily available figures relate to deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning. The most recently available information is for deaths in 2003. Figures are shown in the attached table for the calendar years 1994 to 2003.
	Figures on deaths where an adverse reaction to a drug taken in therapeutic dosage was involved, are not included in the table below as these are not poisonings. Figures on these deaths are not readily available and are known to be under-reported until the adverse reaction is well known. Adverse reactions to drugs are reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the yellow card scheme.
	
		Number of deaths from drug-related poisoning , (30) involving selected drugs,2,3 England and Wales, 1994 to 2003 4
		
			  1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Paracetamol including compounds 543 616 566 669 610 559 551 545 463 466 
			 Paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene compound  formulation (a) 329 367 346 402 373 366 361 346 287 262 
			 Paracetamol not from compound formulation (b) 194 220 188 235 214 155 155 175 126 159 
			 NSAIDs (c) 58 56 6156 47 31 31 30 31 27  
			 Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (d) 5 23 18 23 28 38 55 60 49 81 
			 Paracetamol and codeine compound formulation (e) 17 20 20 26 17 31 25 22 32 41 
			 Codeine not from compound formulation (e) 16 13 20 26 24 26 27 32 30 33 
		
	
	(30) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 292, 304, 305.2–305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E962.0 andE980.0-E980.5 for 1993 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (1CD-10) codes F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and Y10-Y14from 2001 onwards.
	(31) Drugs mentioned on the death certificate of a death where the underlying cause was drug poisoning.
	(32) There were no deaths due to an overdose involving Cox-2 inhibitors or cerivastatin in the 10-year period.
	(33) Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Stamp Duty

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2005, Official Report, column 1519W, on stamp duty, if he will estimate the revenue impact for the UK; for what reasons a reliable estimate cannot be made for countries and regions of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The cost of raising the stamp duty threshold for residential properties to £100,000, £120,000 and £150,000 in each of the next five years is estimated for the UK in the following table:
	
		
			 Threshold 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 
		
		
			 £100,000 150 140 130 130 130 
			 £120,000 270 260 240 260 230 
			 £150,000 480 460 450 520 480 
		
	
	Projections are based on the number and value of residential and commercial transactions, derived from the Survey of Property Transactions in England and Wales, projected to the required year, in line with the pre-Budget 2004 forecast for price and volume trends. By comparing UK stamp duty receipts with England and Wales survey estimates in historic years it is possible to derive projections for the UK. However forecast trends for price and volume are not produced for countries and regions of the UK to enable production of reliable stamp duty projections at the sub UK level.

European Constitution

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2005, Official Report, column 1380W, on the European Constitution, if he will bring forward proposals for a mechanism to give the Scottish Parliament and other devolved bodies a role under this protocol regarding measures that are (a) devolved and (b) wholly or largely relating to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland; if he will make it his policy to allow devolved bodies, singularly or collectively, to determine one of the UK votes in these circumstances; and what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the operation of the protocol.

Denis MacShane: The Government have had discussions with the devolved administrations about the possible operation of Protocol 2 of the EU Constitutional Treaty should it be approved. Article 6 of that Protocol states that
	"It will be for each national Parliament or each chamber of a national Parliament to consult, where appropriate, regional parliaments with legislative powers".
	The nature and extent of that consultation is for national Parliaments to decide, although the Government believe it would be desirable for views of devolved legislatures to be taken into account. It is the Government's view that for the purposes of this Article the UK national Parliament constitutes the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Intelligence Gathering

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1712W, on intelligence gathering, on how many occasions in the last year his Department has used information obtained by the use of torture in another country.

Jack Straw: I again refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 413W. I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave him on 7 February 2005, Official Report, column 1257W.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) of 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1052W, if he will publish the letters from Dr. Rod Barton of the Iraq Survey Group to which reference is made.

Denis MacShane: Dr. Barton's letters, to which he drew attention in a television documentary programme broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) were addressed to the Australian authorities. It is a matter for them to determine whether they should be published.
	The transcript of the documentary programme, and some of the papers relating to Dr. Barton's allegations are available on the ABC website at www.abc.net.au/4corners.

Lisbon Agenda

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the Lisbon agenda to date.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to numerous Government publications on the Lisbon Agenda, including the Treasury's 2004 and 2005 Progress Reports, which are available in the Library of the House, the Commission's 2005 Spring Report (http://europa.eu.int/growthandjobs/) and former Dutch Prime Minister, Wim Kok's High Level Group report on Lisbon progress also available in the Library of the House.

Lisbon Agenda

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the implementation of the Lisbon agenda; what the Government's priorities are in relation to the Lisbon agenda; and what the new arrangements are for the governance of the Lisbon strategy.

Denis MacShane: The Government strongly support the Commission's focus on "jobs and growth", as the immediate Lisbon reform priorities and the best way to boost prosperity and living standards for all (Commission Spring Report, launched on 2 February, http://www.europa.eu.int/growthandjobs/). As the former Dutch Prime Minister, Wim Kok, noted in his Lisbon report to EU heads in November "Lisbon's direction is right and imperative, but much urgency is needed in its implementation". The Commission has identified urgent reforms and proposed a strengthened system of governance—National Growth and Employment Action Plans—to accelerate and increase political ownership of the reform process. These proposals will be discussed at the March European Council.

Rajasthan State

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indian Government concerning the attacks in February on Christian students in Kota, Rajasthan State, by activists from militant Hindu groups.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 9 March 2005
	We have not raised this specific incident with the Indian authorities, but we continue as a matter of course to raise our concerns with them about religious intolerance in India, including attacks against Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. We will continue to urge the Indian authorities to ensure the right to freedom of religion enshrined in its constitution is upheld, and that those responsible for attacks against people because of their religion are brought to justice. We will remind them that the UK Government condemn the persecution of individuals or groups because of their religion or beliefs. The UK Government believe that the democratic process in India is the best protection for a peaceful and secure country. We appreciate the remarks by Dr. Manmohan Singh in his first press conference as Prime Minister, when he said
	"We are the most tolerant civilisation and we cannot divide people on the basis of religion and race."

UN Human Rights Commission

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what UK representatives will attend the 2005 meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission; and what consultation he will undertake with non-governmental groups that have recognised UN status in advance of the meeting;
	(2)  who the UK representative will be at the forthcoming UN Human Rights Commission; and what statement will be presented by the UK Government.

Bill Rammell: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Human Rights, Democracy and Governance Group in London, and from our missions in New York and Geneva, will form the UK delegation to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) from 14 March-22 April. I plan to attend and address the High Level Segment in the first week—it is too early to give details of what the statement will cover.
	In terms of NGO involvement, I am pleased to say that I am planning to take an NGO representative with me when I visit Geneva to address the High Level Segment. I hope this will further strengthen links between our work and that of the NGO community. I also host a regular pre-CHR NGO forum, which took place this year on 9 February, where NGOs can discuss priorities and policy on the range of resolutions with myself and the officials who will form our delegation at the Commission. We, and I believe the NGOs, find this an invaluable exercise in sharing views and informing our preparations for the Commission. Our mission in Geneva also has regular contacts with the NGO community there during the course of the Commission.

Zimbabwe

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of reports of (a) government harassment of journalists in Zimbabwe and (b) the raiding of the offices of journalists Jan Raath and Brain Latham;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Zimbabwe about freedom of the press.

Chris Mullin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) on 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 801. As regards the latest harassment of journalists, we see this as further evidence of a climate of intimidation that makes the prospect of a free election unlikely.

Benefits

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial help is available to applicants for (a) income support, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) jobseeker's allowance between the date of application and the conclusion of a work-focused benefit interview.

Chris Pond: A customer for any of these benefits may express a need for immediate financial help any time during the new-claim process. The action to take will depend upon what stage the request is made.
	Where a benefit claim has been assessed and payment of benefit is due, the payment is issued immediately.
	If the request is made at First Contact Stage, wherever possible, an urgent appointment (preferably the same day) is made with the Financial Assessor and Personal Adviser to complete the claim process and allow any payment due to be released.
	If an immediate appointment cannot be booked or the benefit claim cannot be assessed, because for example information is outstanding, an interim payment is considered. An interim payment is a payment on account of benefit and is considered when, from the information provided already, it appears the customer may be entitled to benefit but it is not possible to fully assess the claim immediately.
	Where a benefit claim has been assessed, but it is established the first payment is not due immediately, then consideration can be given to a Social Fund Crisis Loan.

Dunley Jobcentre

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when the decision was made to bring forward the announcement of the planned closure of Dunley Jobcentre; what interim arrangements are being put in place; and what contracts are being negotiated with Gloucestershire city council on access to IT facilities in the new library;
	(2)  what redeployment of staff is being undertaken regarding the planned closure of the Dunley Jobcentre; and whether the provision of a continuing staff presence in Dunley was considered.

Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mr. David Drew, dated 14 March 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the planned closure of Dursley Jobcentre. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	It may be helpful if I explain that on 22 October 2004 we wrote to our stakeholders to inform them that Dursley Jobcentre had been earmarked for closure, providing the reasons why and inviting views from stakeholders. As a result of the consultation exercise, the final decision concerning the closure of Dursley Jobcentre was made in February 2005 and the office will close on 31 March. The communication of this decision began on 4 March via a press release, then in writing to Jobcentre Plus customers and other stakeholders. At no time between October 2004 and February 2005 did we confirm the closure of Dursley Jobcentre and therefore our announcement was not brought forward.
	Jobcentre Plus is currently in local negotiations with Gloucestershire County Council for provision of a Flexible Service Delivery (FSD) option in Dursley Library. This negotiation has not yet been concluded as the Local Authority are considering the terms of the formal written agreement proposed by Jobcentre Plus. The FSD option includes the provision of a free telephone link and the use of the Library Internet services. Interim arrangements have been made to provide a limited service to customers from the existing Jobcentre site on one day per week until the FSD option is in place and fully operational.
	Jobcentre Plus has taken every appropriate step in redeploying staff affected by the closure of Dursley Jobcentre. There are currently two staff members who have yet to agree a permanent alternative. The provision of a continuing staff presence in Dursley was fully considered in light of stakeholder feedback.
	It is important to remember that the shape of the network in future is in response to the changing business need. Increasingly we will be delivering our services through the premises of our partners and siting facilities such as touch-screen Jobpoints or free telephone access in local public buildings. The need for face-to-face facilities for jobsearch and other aspects of our business has been superseded in many instances by different business processes and the use of information technology. For example, over the last 12 months we have seen an increase of over 40 per cent. in the number of hits on our jobsearch web-site.

Fuel Direct

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of customers included in the Fuel Direct payment scheme in the last 10 years; and what the cost of operating the Fuel Direct payment system has been in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Pond: Information regarding the cost of running the Fuel Direct scheme is not available. Information regarding the number of customers included in the scheme is in the following table.
	
		DWP customers on Fuel Direct scheme Thousand
		
			 August Electricity Gas Total 
		
		
			 1995 57 172 229 
			 1996 47 141 188 
			 1997 43.3 126.4 169.7 
			 1998 35.7 86.6 122.3 
			 1999 29.2 56.8 86 
			 2000 26.5 45.3 71.8 
			 2001 25 37.1 62.1 
			 2002 21.9 31.9 53.8 
			 2003 21.6 29.7 51.3 
			 2004 17.5 22.5 40 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and as such subject to a degree of sampling error.
	Source:
	Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries.

Incapacity Benefit

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Suffolk constituency were in receipt of incapacity benefit in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the following table.
	
		All incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance claimants in the West Suffolk parliamentary constituency, at the quarter shown
		
			 As at 31 August: Number 
		
		
			 1997 1,900 
			 1998 2,100 
			 1999 2,000 
			 2000 1,900 
			 2001 2,100 
			 2002 2,000 
			 2003 2,400 
			 2004 2,100 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
	2. Figures include all incapacity benefit, severe disability allowance and credits-only cases.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

Pensioners

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on pensioners in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table.
	
		Expenditure Rounded to nearest £ million
		
			  Jarrow Constituency South Tyneside North East Great Britain 
		
		
			 1997–98 70 132 2,149 41,414 
			 1998–99 69 131 2,165 43,597 
			 1999–2000 71 135 2,223 46,823 
			 2000–01 76 142 2,347 49,403 
			 2001–02 84 156 2,521 53,229 
			 2002–03 89 163 2,635 55,963 
			 2003–04 95 174 2,777 58,995 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The information in the table provides benefit expenditure for pensioners in Great Britain.
	2. Benefit expenditure in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office and is not included in the above table.
	3. Table consists of the expenditure on the main pensioner benefits: pension credit, winter fuel payments to all those 60 and over, retirement pension, disability living allowance and attendance allowance to people over state pension age, the over-80s payment.
	4. Housing benefit and council tax benefit has been excluded from the table as the local authority level data cannot be broken down between pensioners and other recipients, and no information is available at constituency level.
	5. Expenditure has been apportioned to pensioner groups using Quarterly Statistical Enquiry data for the relevant benefits, which is based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	Benefit expenditure forecast information is published on the Internet at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp

Magistrates/County Courts

Frank Field: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) magistrates and (b) county courts there have been in each of the last 20 years.

Christopher Leslie: (a) The provision of magistrates courthouses and the collection of statistics relating to the numbers of courthouses is a matter for each of the 42 Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs). From 1 April 2005 Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) will take responsibility for the administration of all courts below the House of Lords. HMCS will be an executive agency of the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA). Since 2000, the DCA have collected the information in the table on the number of places used as magistrates courthouses:
	
		
			  Number of magistrates courts(34) 
		
		
			 2000 442 
			 2001 413 
			 2002 394 
			 2003 390 
			 2004 387 
			 2005 387 
		
	
	(34) This includes occasional places used as courtrooms (e.g. where a "town hall" is used).
	(b) Data and information on the number of county courts in each of the last 20 years is not available. However, data since 1989 is provided as follows.
	
		
			  Number of county courts 
		
		
			 1989 292 
			 1990 291 
			 1991 291 
			 1992 290 
			 1993 283 
			 1994 278 
			 1995 262 
			 1996 254 
			 1997 241 
			 1998 233 
			 1999 227 
			 2000 225 
			 2001 221 
			 2002 220 
			 2003 218 
			 2004 218 
			 2005 218

Youth Defendants

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average time was from offence to completion for youth defendants in criminal cases coming before magistrates courts in each of the last three years.

Christopher Leslie: Average times for all youth defendants in all criminal cases, by stage of proceedings 2002 to 2004 are shown in the table as follows.
	
		Average times for all youth defendants in all criminal cases, by stage of proceedings 2002 to 2004 Days
		
			  Offence to charge or laying of information (Days) Charge or laying of information to first listing First listing to completion (35)Offence to completion 
		
		
			 2002 35 10 45 91 
			 2003 36 11 46 92 
			 2004 40 11 46 97 
		
	
	(35) The total in the Offence to completion column may not sum exactly the previous three columns, as each stage will have been rounded independently.

Equality Commission

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how much was spent on legal assistance by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in each of the last four years, broken down by section 75 group;
	(2)  how many requests for assistance were received by the Equality Commission, broken down by section 75 group;
	(3)  how much was spent by the Equality Commission on legal assistance in each of the last four years; and whether there was (a) an overspend and (b) an under spend against budget in each of those years.

John Spellar: I understand that the Chief Executive of the Equality Commission has written to the hon. Gentleman.
	Letter from the Chief Executive of the Equality Commission (Evelyn Collins) to Mr. Eddie McGrady.
	As your Parliamentary Questions fall within the operational remit of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, they have been forwarded to me for response.
	Question 217670: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent on legal assistance by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in each of the last four years, broken down by section 75 group.
	I would being by clarifying that under the legislation the Commission is only empowered to assist cases in the areas of sex discrimination, racial discrimination, religious belief and political opinion, disability and sexual orientation. It was in December 2003 that sexual orientation was added as a ground on which to base a complaint of discrimination and, consequently, does not appear in the figures you request for the past four years, as there was no expenditure on legal assistance for that ground in December 2003-March 2004 period. Although the Commission has duties with regard to each of the nine Section 75 grounds, we are not presently empowered to assist cases on the grounds of age, and having or not having dependants.
	Information on our legal work and the expenditure on legal assistance is contained in our Annual Report and Accounts. With regard to the specific information requested, I trust the following is helpful.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Remit 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Disability 8,233 88,333 414,419 187,171 
			 Race 120,605 156,106 422,387 193,435 
			 Religious belief/political opinion 166,780 170,261 916,357 239,464 
			 Sex 348,867 631,861 829,588 524,967 
			 Total 644,475 1,046,561 2,582,721 1,145,037 
		
	
	Question 217671: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many requests for assistance were received by the Equality Commission in each of section 75 group.
	Information on requests for assistance is based on the date at which the request was considered by the Commission's Legal Funding Committee.
	
		
			  Number of applications per year 
			 Remit 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Disability 71 119 132 171 
			 Race 214 140 89 83 
			 Religious belief/political opinion 225 411 172 222 
			 Sex 141 191 230 138 
			 Sexual orientation — — — 1 
			 Total 651 861 623 615 
		
	
	Question 217723: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent by the Equality Commission on legal assistance in each of the last four years; and whether there was (a) an overspend and (b) an under spend against budget in each of those years.
	In each of the four years the spend on legal assistance was higher than originally planned; however, the Commission's total spending was within the budgets agreed with OFMDFM.
	
		
			  Spend (£) 
		
		
			 2000–01 597,879 
			 2001–02 846,412 
			 2002–03 2,120,340 
			 2003–04 1,658,563 
		
	
	If I can provide any further information on this matter, or any other aspect of our equality work, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Retirement (Health Grounds)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what circumstances individuals would be entitled to retire on health grounds following the implementation of proposed Government pension scheme changes in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: It is assumed that this question is referring to the proposed changes to the pension schemes for civil servants, staff employed in the NHS and for teachers.
	Consultation on proposed changes to pensions, including those for ill health retirement, of the main civil service pension scheme in Great Britain and the NHS and teachers schemes for England and Wales are currently under way. As the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme for Northern Ireland, the Health and Personal Social Services Superannuation Scheme, and the Teachers Superannuation Scheme in Northern Ireland operate on a principle of parity with these schemes, the normal approach would be to introduce similar changes for Northern Ireland staff.
	The proposals relating to ill-health retirement in the consultation document "Building a Sustainable Future—Proposals for Changes to Civil Service Pension Arrangements" are broadly similar to those presently available to members of the premium arrangement of the current civil service pension provisions with the recognition that higher benefits should be paid to those who are most incapacitated. The proposals relating to ill-health retirement for the teachers pension schemes are similar to those proposed under the civil service scheme.
	The proposals are as follows:
	Where the scheme's medical adviser agrees that a member's ill-health is such that they are no longer able to do their job and that this is likely to continue to pension age, the member should receive their pension immediately without any reduction for early payment.
	If the scheme's medical adviser considers that the member is virtually unable to do any job, not just their present job, they should receive an increase to their pension, under a formula yet to be determined.
	Civil service members who are covered by the current classic arrangements are subject to a slightly modified approach, compatible with an employee contributions rate of 1.5 per cent. rather than the premium contribution rate of 3.5 per cent. Regardless of the degree of incapacity a single level of ill-health pension will be payable.
	The review partners of the NHS pension scheme consider that the pension scheme cannot deal with ill health in isolation and that it is important that any changes to the pension scheme are part of an integrated approach to managing ill-health absence. They have proposed that a separate partnership review of sickness and ill-health arrangements should be carried out, which will help the pension review determine this aspect of pension scheme design. The consultation document is seeking views on this approach to reviewing sickness and ill-health retirement arrangements.

Shellfish and Whitefish

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed in the (a) shellfish and (b) whitefish sectors of the fishing industry in Northern Ireland on the last date for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: Information in respect of the number of people employed in the processing and marketing, catching and other sectors of the Northern Ireland fishing industry is shown in the following table.
	The data does not distinguish between employment in the shellfish and whitefish sectors and to provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2000 2001 2002 
			  Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time 
		
		
			 Ardglass   
			 Catching 10 96 10 81 8 84 
			 Processing and marketing 13 160 23 155 21 152 
			 Others 6 37 4 47 4 35 
			 Total 29 293 37 283 33 271 
			
			 Kilkeel   
			 Catching 30 280 0 200 0 260 
			 Processing and marketing 81 546 61 483 48 339 
			 Others 13 74 6 68 5 66 
			 Total 124 900 67 751 53 665 
			 Portavogie   
			 Catching 19 215 19 213 24 204 
			 Processing and marketing 120 95 120 110 125 115 
			 Others 16 36 16 40 19 43 
			 Total 155 346 155 363 168 362 
			
			 North Coast   
			 Catching 15 21 17 19 11 20 
			 Processing and marketing 21 89 21 89 17 95 
			 Others 7 25 8 25 12 56 
			 Total 43 135 46 133 40 171 
			
			 All ports   
			 Catching 74 612 46 513 43 568 
			 Processing and marketing 235 890 225 837 211 701 
			 Others 42 172 34 180 40 200 
			 Total 351 1,674 305 1,530 294 1,469 
		
	
	
		
			  2003 2004 
			  Part-time Full-time Part-time Full-time 
		
		
			 Ardglass 
			 Catching 10 91 5 89 
			 Processing and  marketing 5 129 0 134 
			 Others 2 16 0 23 
			 Total 17 236 5 246 
			  
			 Kilkeel 
			 Catching 0 190 (36)50 250 
			 Processing and  marketing 51 387 45 384 
			 Others 3 61 4 55 
			 Total 54 638 49 689 
			  
			 Portavogie 
			 Catching 24 156 24 176 
			 Processing and  marketing 96 127 68 174 
			 Others 21 39 18 28 
			 Total 141 322 110 378 
			  
			 North Coast 
			 Catching 6 21 5 20 
			 Processing and  marketing 7 77 7 70 
			 Others 3 31 1 30 
			 Total 16 129 13 120 
			  
			 All ports 
			 Catching 40 458 84 535 
			 Processing and  marketing 159 720 120 762 
			 Others 29 147 23 136 
			 Total 228 1,325 227 1,433 
		
	
	(36) includes 30 seasonal staff.
	Note:
	"Others" includes harbour jobs, boat building and chandlery supplies.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to contribute effectively to the British-Irish Council;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to contribute effectively to the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference;
	(3)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build and sustain confidence in the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service;
	(4)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build and sustain confidence in the police oversight and accountability arrangements in Northern Ireland;
	(5)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to increase confidence in the police throughout all parts of the community by 3 per cent. by April 2008 will be met;
	(6)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build and sustain confidence in the criminal justice system;
	(7)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build a criminal justice system that is effective, efficient and responsive;
	(8)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to increase confidence in the criminal justice system throughout all parts of the community by 3 per cent. by April 2008 will be met;
	(9)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to uphold and maintain the rule of law;
	(10)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build a legislative and strategic framework that takes account of the need to secure justice and the rights of the individual;
	(11)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build a legislative and strategic framework that provides for a sufficient counter-terrorist capability;
	(12)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to build a legislative and strategic framework that seeks to minimise the potential for, and causes and effects of, public order disturbances and community strife;
	(13)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to lessen the impact of crime;
	(14)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to develop policies to prevent or reduce the threat of crime;
	(15)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to develop policies to provide support for the victims of crime;
	(16)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce domestic burglary by 2 per cent. by April will be met;
	(17)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce domestic burglary by 15 per cent. by April 2007 will be met;
	(18)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce the theft of vehicles by 6 per cent. by April will be met;
	(19)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce the theft of vehicles by 10 per cent. by April 2007 will be met;
	(20)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce theft from vehicles by 6 per cent. by April will be met;
	(21)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce theft from vehicles by 10 per cent. by April 2007 will be met;
	(22)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to reduce the rate of reconviction by 5 per cent. compared to the predicted rate by 2008 will be met;
	(23)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to ensure that the supervisory and custodial sentences imposed on offenders by the courts are delivered appropriately to protect the people of Northern Ireland;
	(24)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to ensure that the supervisory and custodial sentences imposed on offenders by the courts are delivered appropriately to reduce the risk of re-offending;
	(25)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to ensure that the annual cost per prisoner place in Northern Ireland falls to £82,500 by 2007–08 will be met;
	(26)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to ensure that the annual cost per prisoner place in Northern Ireland falls to £86,290 by 2005–06 will be met;
	(27)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to ensure that the annual cost per prisoner place in Northern Ireland falls to £85,250 by 2006–07 will be met;
	(28)  recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to increase Catholic representation in the police service to 30 per cent. by December 2010 will be met;
	(29)  what recent assessment he has made of whether the public service agreement target to increase Catholic representation in the police service to 18.5 per cent. by March 2006 will be met;
	(30)  whether the public service agreement target to increase Catholic representation in the police service to 13.5 per cent. by March 2004 will be met;
	(31)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland;
	(32)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to encourage political development in Northern Ireland.

Paul Murphy: In common with the other Whitehall Departments, the Northern Ireland Office reports progress against the targets and objectives in the public service agreement (PSA) in its Departmental Report and Autumn Performance Report. In the 2004 Spending Review PSA, the NIO agreed seven main objectives and, within these, four key target areas which commit it to a specified level of performance or achievement. Since the SR2004 PSA commences in April 2005 no material is available to monitor progress against these targets. However the Department has provided extensive public information on progress against the PSA targets agreed as part of the SR2002 settlement. Because the targets are clearly measurable they are reported on in detail in the Departmental Report and Autumn Performance Report. Progress against objectives is reported on in more general terms.
	The NIO's 2005 Departmental Report is in draft and will be published soon on a date to be set by HM Treasury. It will provide detail on the targets and give information on performance to the end of the SR2002 PSA period. It and the Autumn Performance Report are available from the Stationery Office or on the NIOs website (http://www.nio.gov.uk). In addition, HM Treasury's performance website (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/index/cfm) currently reports specifically on performance against the targets in the SR2002 PSA and will be updated regularly to report on SR2004 PSA targets.
	Autumn Performance Report are available from the Stationery Office or on the NIOs website (http://www. nio.gov.uk). In addition, HM Treasury's performance website (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/index/cfm) currently reports specifically on performance against the targets in the SR2002 PSA and will be updated regularly to report on SR2004 PSA targets.

Ambulance Response Times

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time for ambulances attending 999 calls was in (a) Suffolk and (b) England in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally in the format requested. Data on response times for East Anglian Ambulance Service National Health Service trust and for all ambulance services in England is shown in the table.
	Data is only available from the date trusts introduced call prioritisation. East Anglian Ambulance Service introduced call prioritisation in 2000–01. All ambulance services in England had introduced call prioritisation by 2001–02.
	Further information can be found in the statistical bulletin, "Ambulance services, England: 2003–04." A copy is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0411.htm
	
		
			  East Anglian England 
		
		
			 Percentage of category A calls responded within eight minutes 
			 1997–98 n/a n/a 
			 1998–99 n/a n/a 
			 1999–2000 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 53.0 n/a 
			 2001–02 63.8 70.8 
			 2002–03 75.2 74.6 
			 2003–04 76.1 75.7 
			
			 Percentage of category A calls responded within 14 to 19 minutes 
			 1997–98 n/a n/a 
			 1998–99 n/a n/a 
			 1999–2000 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 95.7 n/a 
			 2001–02 95.7 94.1 
			 2002–03 96.9 94.6 
			 2003–04 96.6 93.9 
			
			 Percentage of category B/C calls responded within 14 to 19 minutes 
			 1997–98 n/a n/a 
			 1998–99 n/a n/a 
			 1999–2000 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 95.3 — 
			 2001–02 94.8 90.2 
			 2002–03 94.4 89.6 
			 2003–04 93.0 87.5 
			
			 Percentage of urgent journeys with arrival time not more than 15 minutes late 
			 1997–98 83.1 88.0 
			 1998–99 73.0 84.0 
			 1999–2000 68.7 80.5 
			 2000–01 75.4 78.8 
			 2001–02 80.1 78.5 
			 2002–03 85.9 78.0 
			 2003–04 93.1 78.1 
		
	
	n/a = not available.

Cleaning and Hygiene

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total expenditure by NHS hospitals on cleaning in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: Collection of information on the total amount that national health service organisations spend on cleaning began in 2000. The details for the financial years since then are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Total expenditure on cleaning services 
		
		
			 2000–01 403 
			 2001–02 418 
			 2002–03 460 
			 2003–04 493

Counter Fraud and Security Management Service

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) investigations and (b) investigations specifically relating to timesheet fraud by bank and agency staff the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service and its predecessor, the NHS Counter Fraud Service, have conducted since September 1998; and how many of these investigations resulted in (i) unsuccessful criminal prosecutions, (ii) successful criminal prosecutions and (iii) civil and disciplinary cases.

Rosie Winterton: The total number of investigations completed by the national health service counter fraud and security management service since September 1998 is 2,096.
	The number of investigations specifically relating to timesheet fraud by bank and agency staff is 120. Fraud was found to be present in 43 cases and not present in 77 cases. A breakdown of sanctions applied in relation to timesheet fraud is listed as follows:
	One case was found not guilty.
	33 cases resulted in successful criminal prosecutions.
	19 cases resulted in disciplinary sanctions.
	Six cases resulted in a civil recovery.
	The total figure is greater than 43, as criminal, civil and disciplinary sanctions were applied jointly in cases where that was appropriate.

Cross-border Tracking

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cross-border tracking of (a) adults and (b) children with (i) mental health and (ii) general health problems takes place between health authorities in England and Wales.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 March 2005
	In general terms, the primary care trust or local health board in whose area a patient is registered with a general practitioner (GP) practice will have responsibility for commissioning his or her care, regardless of what particular health problems he or she might have. When a patient moves across the border between England and Wales, we would expect that person to register with a GP practice at their earliest convenience, which then determines the authority responsible for their care. Their records will then be transferred to the new practice.
	Some adults who have been in contact with mental health services will be subject to the multi-agency public protection panel arrangements. The arrangements for the tracking of individuals considered a risk to the public are detailed in paragraphs 76 and 77 of Probation Circular 54/2004, "The MAPPA Guidance". This places the responsibility firmly on the responsible authorities (the relevant police and probation services) initiating the transfer to ensure that the receiving authorities have both the information and the time to put suitable arrangements into place. The arrangements for moves between Wales and England are the same as those between English regions. Health bodies have a duty to cooperate with police and probation services in making these arrangements function effectively.

Departmental Policies (Birmingham)

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Birmingham, Northfield constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on Birmingham Northfield constituency.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Birmingham Northfield constituency.
	For example:
	At the end of December 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for In-patient treatment within the South Birmingham Primary Care Trust (PCT) has fallen to zero, from 165 in June 2002.
	At the end of December 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for Out-patient treatment within South Birmingham PCT has fallen to two, from 620 in June 2002.
	In June 2003, at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, 90.4 per Cent., of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 96.7 per cent.
	Between September 1997 and June 2004, the number of consultants at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has increased from 204 to 290. Between September 1997 and September 2003, the number of nurses has increased from 1,635 to 2,199.
	Between September 2001 and June 2004, the number of general medical practitioners within South Birmingham PCT has increased from 262 to 293.
	Figures for December 2004 show that all patients within South Birmingham PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days and a primary care professional within one working day.
	South Birmingham PCT is a "Spearhead" PCT. The "Spearhead" group of local authorities and PCTs will be used to assess the achievement of the Government targets to address geographical inequalities in life expectancy, cancer, heart disease, stroke and related diseases in 2010.
	Four linear accelerators are due be delivered to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in March 2005.

East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey primary care trust spent on mental health services in each of the past three years.

Rosie Winterton: Expenditure on the commissioning of mental illness services by the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey primary care trust (PCT) is shown in the following table. The PCT was established on 1 April 2002; therefore figures are only available for two years.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2002–03 38,142 
			 2003–04 25,126 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The mental illness expenditure reported is the expenditure of the PCTs on the commissioning of secondary mental illness services from national health service bodies. This does not include all the relevant expenditure which cannot be separately identified centrally.
	2. The figures do not include commissioning of mental illness services from independent providers. This expenditure is included within the commissioning of social care and cannot be separately analysed between mental illness, learning disability and similar services. Over the two years, there has been a £28.5 million increase in independent sector commissioning.
	3. The figures are not comparable between PCTs and between years. There are a number of factors which may distort the figures, including PCTs commissioning on behalf of others, the devolution of mental illness budgets by health authorities and the increase in provision by the independent sector.
	Sources:
	Audited summarisation schedules of the East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Information for Patients

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether under his proposals for patient choice information will be available for patients on (a) cleanliness, (b) infection rates, (c) success of specific treatments, (d) individual consultants' performance and (e) patient satisfaction rates at (i) NHS hospitals and (ii) independent hospitals or treatment centres providing care paid for by the NHS.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 March 2005
	The Department is enhancing the website www.nhs.uk to provide both patients and general practitioners with easily accessible, comparative information about providers on waiting times, accessibility and quality and performance. This information will be drawn from the Healthcare Commission's star ratings on clinical quality and patient experience. In addition, the British Medical "Journal's Best Treatments" series of elective surgery guides are available free of charge through NHS Direct Online.
	Consultation with patients and clinicians has suggested that a wider range of data, and data relating to clinical effectiveness and outcomes may be helpful to inform choice. The Department is taking forward work in developing additional information sets in consultation with key stakeholders.
	Information on Methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus Aureus"(MRSA) bloodstream infections is currently available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/PublicationsStatisticsArticle/fs/en? CONTENTJD=4085951&chk=HBt2QD.
	Mandatory national surveillance has been in place since April 2001 and information for the last three years is available for all acute trusts in England.
	Comparable information on these indicators will be available for independent sector providers and is likely to draw on the existing arrangements for contract monitoring.

Kent Autistic Trust

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional financial support he plans to give to the Kent Autistic Trust from April.

Stephen Ladyman: There are no plans to provide financial support to the Kent Autistic Trust from April.
	The Department is only able to provide financial support to voluntary organisations through the Section 64: General Scheme of Grants to Voluntary Organisations. No Section 64 application was received from the Kent Autistic Trust for the 2005–06 round.

Meat Hygiene

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what statistics are collected by the Meat Hygiene Service to monitor the number of carcasses presented for inspection with visible faecal contamination which require subsequent removal by trimming;
	(2)  what procedures are in place to ensure that the Meat Hygiene Service accurately records the number of carcasses presented for inspection at UK meat plants which are visibly faecally contaminated and subsequently need to be trimmed to remove that contamination;
	(3)  how many carcasses, in each year between 1995 and 2004 were (a) rejected in their entirety as unfit for human consumption at inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service and (b) rejected at inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service as requiring trimming to remove faecal contamination before being passed fit for human consumption.

Melanie Johnson: I am advised that the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS)—which only operates in Great Britain: separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland—does not collate statistics relating to visible faecal contamination of meat. It does, however, require its staff, through instructions contained in the MHS operations manual, to record incidences whereby visible contamination of meat—which includes faecal contamination but also other substances such as rust, grease and hair—has led to its rejection. The records for 2001 to 2004 are shown in table 1. Statistics relating to previous years are not readily available.
	
		Table 1
		
			  Recorded incidences of visible contamination 
			 Category 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Bovines(37) 136,170 160,350 146,631 150,824 
			 Sheep and goats 661,808 749,886 631,548 648,972 
			 Pigs 411,741 400,007 313,222 322,455 
			 Poultry 429,103 499,662 531,690 669,039 
			 Other 6,143 6,493 2,876 2,255 
		
	
	(37) These figures do not include bovines processed under the over thirty months scheme, as these are not processed for human consumption.
	Figures for the total number of carcases rejected in their entirety as being unfit for human consumption at inspection by the MHS in Great Britain in 2001 to 2004 are shown in table 2. Statistics relating to previous years are not available.
	
		Table 2
		
			  Year 
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 
			 Category Total throughput Rejected Total throughput Rejected Total throughput Rejected Total throughput Rejected 
		
		
			 Bovines(38) 1,770,777 1,426 1,879,052 4,034 1,883,789 1,726 1,941,207 2,292 
			 Sheep and goats 12,313,453 10,180 14,661,441 23,921 14,640,154 19,552 14,931,184 18,166 
			 Pigs 9,583,116 22,226 9,352,828 27,864 8,050,382 26,621 7,948,541 29,206 
			 Poultry 795,392,486 637,440 781,596,517 2,323,987 786,947,608 1,657,446 788,975,131 2,092,945 
			 Other 840,519 10,820 1,117,071 14,332 1,388,894 16,478 2,063,935 26,680 
		
	
	(38) These figures do not include bovines processed under the over thirty months scheme, as these are not processed for human consumption.

Mental Health

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set for trusts regarding mental health provision.

Rosie Winterton: The national service framework (NSF) for mental health, published in 1999, sets out the national standards for mental health, what they aim to achieve, how they should be developed and delivered and how to measure performance in every part of the country. Following this, the NHS plan, published in 2000, set plans and targets for investment and reforms in the national health service in England. In addition, the priorities and planning framework, published in 2002, sets out detailed targets for the next three years—2003–06. Both these documents include targets for mental health service provision.
	Copies of these publications are available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh. gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/fs/en.

Public Health (Control of Disease) Act

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.

Melanie Johnson: "Getting Ahead of the Curve", the infectious disease strategy published by the Chief Medical Officer in January 2002, made clear the intention of reviewing infectious disease law. No specific timetable for the review has been set as yet: we have always intended that it should be carried out at the point when it can make the most effective contribution to improving the control and prevention of infectious disease.
	Our top priority, in terms of improving health protection, has been the legislation to establish the Health Protection Agency (HPA). It has existed since April 2003 as a special health authority in England and Wales and will be established from 1 April 2005 as a United Kingdom-wide public body under the Health Protection Agency Act 2004. As a result of the creation of the HPA, consultants in communicable disease control (who generally discharge the "local authority proper officer" function under the 1984 Act) are in England all now employed by the HPA. This is an improvement on the previous position; when such consultants were in effect single-handed practitioners, each based in a local national health service body, which could offer them relatively little specialist support.
	In preparation for the planned review of the law, we asked the HPA last year to consider first how public health practitioners might make more effective use of the powers currently provided by the 1984 Act; and second, what difficulties practitioners find with the current powers and what changes might be desirable. We expect to receive the results of this work from the HPA in the first half of this year.
	We are contributing to the development of new International Health Regulations (IHR) by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO aims to adopt the new IHR at the World Health Assembly in May 2005. Many of the requirements of the current IHR are reflected in regulations made under infectious disease law in the UK, which will need to be revised once the new IHR are in place. In the meantime, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 has provided new emergency powers which complement those provided through public health legislation.
	We will take decisions on the timetable for the review of public health law in the light of the work being carried out by the HPA and of progress with agreeing and implementing the new IHR.

Regional Directors of Public Health

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the position of Regional Director of Public Health for each English region was established; what the total budget for their activities is; how many staff each office has; what their remit is; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 1 March 2005
	The position of Regional Directors of Public Health (RDsPH) was established in April 2002.
	The remit of RDsPH is to improve the health of the population within their regions, through reducing inequalities in health, protecting the health of the public and improving the standards and quality of services affecting determinants of health.
	Their responsibilities include work with other Government Departments, agencies, voluntary and business communities, nationally and regionally, to tackle the wider determinants of health. They ensure that health considerations are reflected in plans and programmes in areas such as housing, crime, education, transport and environmental planning and underpin economic and urban regeneration.
	Staff in post and budgets for each region for 2004–05 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Regional public health group Staff in post Budget (£ million) 
		
		
			 East of England 13 1.950 
			 London 14 6.135 
			 South East 16 4.076 
			 North East 16 2.092 
			 North West 17 5.273 
			 West Midlands 16 4.333 
			 East Midlands 16 3.380 
			 Yorks and Humber 17 2.321 
			 South West 16 4.414 
			 Total 141 33.980

Renal Services

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether kidney patients awaiting vascular access surgery will be able to exercise patient choice; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The national service framework for renal services makes clear we are determined that kidney patients should have timely and appropriate surgery for permanent vascular access. Latest data for 2003–04 show the average time waited for vascular access surgery was 41 days. However, where, exceptionally, patients wait longer than six months on the waiting list, primary care trusts are responsible for offering choice of an alternative provider in line with the Department's "Choice of Hospital" guidance.
	By the end of 2005, all patients will be able to choose from at least four or five different providers at the point of general practitioner referral.

Social Services Staff

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he has made for (a) issuing advice and (b) monitoring practice in joint health social service care teams in connection with a common approach to human resource issues, with particular reference to (i) pay and conditions, (ii) pension entitlements and (iii) and access to training.

John Hutton: There are no central arrangements. It is the responsibility of the employers concerned to ensure that effective human resource management policies and practices are in place. Pay and conditions are negotiated locally for social services. The national training strategy grant and human resource development grant, paid by the Department to local authorities, is for use, at local discretion, to support human resource and training initiatives, with encouragement given to ensure that partners in the private and voluntary sector benefit.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which ministers were not present.

Rosie Winterton: All meetings held by special advisers and all speeches given by special advisers are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Speech Therapy

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapists have been working in the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Hutton: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		National health service hospital and community health services: qualified speech and language therapists employed in the NHS as at 30 September 1999 to 2003 Number
		
			  Headcount Whole-time equivalents 
		
		
			 1999 5,185 3,939 
			 2000 5,430 4,066 
			 2001 5,685 4,207 
			 2002 5,960 4,365 
			 2003 6,243 4,707 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census

Surplus Assets Sales

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department sold any surplus stock on the eBay auction website, in each year since 2000–01.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not disposed of any surplus stocks on the eBay auction website.

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the under-18 conception rate by 50 per cent. by 2010 will be met.

Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families (Margaret Hodge) on Tuesday 8 March, Official Report, column 1785W.

Council Tax

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the forecast for council tax receipts in each London borough are for 2004–05.

Nick Raynsford: The available information is tabled as follows. These are the amounts of council tax budgeted to be received by London boroughs (including the City) for 2004–05, including amounts collected on behalf of the Greater London Authority, and amounts funded from council tax benefit.
	These figures do not include forecasts for the amounts to be received during 2004–05 relating to years before 2004–05, nor for prepayments of 2005–06 council taxes.
	
		
			£ million 
			  2004–05 Council tax requirement for billing authority 2004–05 Billing authority's share of Greater London Authority council tax requirement Total 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 44.351 12.321 56.672 
			 Barnet 131.272 32.578 163.850 
			 Bexley 78.693 20.112 98.805 
			 Brent 83.363 22.358 105.721 
			 Bromley 104.061 31.425 135.486 
			 Camden 86.810 21.842 108.652 
			 City of London 3.436 0.275 3.711 
			 Croydon 113.940 29.754 143.694 
			 Ealing 106.685 27.092 133.777 
			 Enfield 101.443 25.725 127.168 
			 Greenwich 67.562 18.127 85.689 
			 Hackney 60.960 15.014 75.974 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 68.613 18.603 87.216 
			 Haringey 82.964 19.668 102.632 
			 Harrow 86.487 20.188 106.675 
			 Havering 90.261 20.891 111.152 
			 Hillingdon 91.949 22.781 114.730 
			 Hounslow 83.790 19.808 103.598 
			 Islington 66.678 18.577 85.255 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 67.769 22.947 90.716 
			 Kingston upon Thames 64.832 14.659 79.491 
			 Lambeth 77.916 23.239 101.155 
			 Lewisham 76.764 20.585 97.349 
			 Merton 69.343 17.286 86.629 
			 Newham 57.077 16.845 73.922 
			 Redbridge 79.072 21.184 100.256 
			 Richmond upon Thames 93.306 20.513 113.819 
			 Southwark 73.025 21.253 94.278 
			 Sutton 66.188 17.014 83.202 
			 Tower Hamlets 54.347 17.107 71.454 
			 Waltham Forest 73.158 17.596 90.754 
			 Wandsworth 40.322 27.058 67.380 
			 Westminster 44.195 29.315 73.510 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures shown include amounts funded from council tax benefit.
	Source:
	BR1 returns to ODPM

Council Tax

John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will remove or reduce the requirement on residential boat owners to pay the full amount of council tax.

Nick Raynsford: No. A mooring occupied by a boat which is somebody's sole or main residence is deemed to be a "dwelling" for council tax purposes and will therefore attract a council tax liability in the same way as other domestic types of property. The amount of council tax payable in respect of a mooring occupied by a boat will depend primarily on the valuation band to which the dwelling is assigned. The normal exemptions and discounts, for example for single occupancy, apply and council tax benefit is available for people on low incomes.

Gypsies/Travellers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2005, Official Report, column 1083W, on Gypsies/Travellers, what the outturn expenditure by central Government on (a) authorised Traveller sites and (b) illegal Traveller encampments by the (i) Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions and (ii) Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions was in each year.

Yvette Cooper: The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 repealed the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's power to pay grant to local authorities to establish gypsy caravan sites, together with their duty to provide such sites. The then government committed to pay Grant funding for all valid applications received by November 1994. Under this regime the following payments were made:
	
		
			 Financial year Grant paid (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 3.8 
			 1998–99 0.9 
			 1999–2000 0.6 
		
	
	Since the creation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2002 it has provided the following funding to local authorities to enable them to renew and refurbish the existing network of local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites through its Gypsy Sites Refurbishment Grant:
	
		
			 Financial year Grant paid (£) 
		
		
			 2002–03 2,843,847 
			 2003–04 6,084,059 
			 2004–05 (39)7,739,726 
		
	
	(39) Allocated
	£8 million is available for the 2005–06 financial year.
	There was no outturn expenditure on illegal traveller encampments for this period. The costs associated with unauthorised camping are borne by individual local authorities or private landowners, rather than by central Government.
	A lack of sites Gypsies and Travellers has contributed to the problem of unauthorised developments and encampments. The Government are committed to increasing site provision in appropriate locations.

High Hedges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the reasons are for the change in time scale for implementing the provisions of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 on high hedges; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Last summer's public consultation on implementing the high hedges provisions in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 identified a number of issues which have necessitated further work. These issues were the whole question of fees which a complainant must pay to the local authority for investigating their case and a streamlined appeals process which will place less of a burden on local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently revising the Regulations and guidance for local authorities in the light of the consultation responses, with a view to laying Regulations before Parliament shortly.

Homelessness

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many families have claimed to be homeless in (a) London and (b) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people were homeless in (a) London and (b) England in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly and is in respect of households, rather than people. The number of decisions on applications for housing from households eligible under homelessness legislation for authorities in England and London, since 1997, is in the following tabled. Also shown is the number of these households who were accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need and how many of these households contained children/pregnant women.
	
		Decisions(40) by local authorities on applications for housing under homelessness legislation and the number of acceptances(41), England and London, 1997–98 to 2003–04 Number
		
			  England London 
			   Of which acceptances(41)  Of which acceptances(41) 
			  Decisions(40) Total With children/ pregnant women Decisions(40) Total With children/ pregnant women 
		
		
			 1997–98 243,730 102,430 70,370 55,170 24,300 16,830 
			 1998–99 244,830 104,260 72,040 56,990 26,580 18,760 
			 1999–2000 243,240 105,580 72,930 61,060 27,950 20,080 
			 2000–01 249,580 114,670 77,600 61,060 29,710 21,510 
			 2001–02 256,050 117,810 78,370 62,210 30,470 21,180 
			 2002–03 281,720 130,070 81,560 62,140 31,320 21,140 
			 2003–04 300,840 137,000 84,310 69,040 31,530 20,410 
		
	
	(40) Eligible for assistance.
	(41) Households eligible under homelessness legislation and found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category.
	Source:
	ODPM PIE homelessness returns (quarterly)

Local Government Finance

Robert Wareing: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much financial assistance his Department has provided to the City of Liverpool in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. The following table sets out the amounts of formula grant and other grants and payments made to the City of Liverpool by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister since 2002–03. For earlier years, the table shows the amounts paid by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's predecessor Departments from programmes which are now administered by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	
		All figures (£ million)
		
			   Formula grant 1 Other grants and payments 
		
		
			 1997–98 366.189 48.432 
			 1998–99 391.248 52.146 
			 1999–2000 411.313 48.103 
			 2000–01 426.739 58.102 
			 2001–02 446.374 53.447 
			 2002–03 448.008 81.152 
			 2003–04 493.998 135.683 
			 2004–05 (forecast) 517.006 126.134 
		
	
	(42) These figures may not be comparable year-on-year due to changes in the funding and function of local authorities.

Opinion Polling

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  for what purposes NOP research was continued during the North East referendum campaign period; and whether the research findings accumulated before the official campaign period were made available to (a) the Yes campaign and (b) to Ministers;
	(2)  what advice he received from the Cabinet Office on spending public money on NOP World research in connection with the Your Say information campaign between June 2003 and September 2004;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 344W, on regional referendums, what the total cost to his Department was of the research conducted by NOP World; and what other expenditure was incurred by his Department on other research conducted by NOP during this period;
	(4)  whether the Electoral Commission was informed that the Government was using NOP World to conduct monthly tracking research in connection with the Your Say information campaign in the period up to and during the campaign on the North East referendum.

Nick Raynsford: As was made clear in the answer given to the hon. Member on 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 344W, the NOP World research was designed to measure the effect of the information campaign in raising awareness of the referendums. The research lasted the duration of the information campaign, which ended on 10 September 2004—28 days before the earliest date that postal ballot papers could be dispatched.
	The research was conducted in accordance with the requirements of guidance on the work of the Government Communication Network, produced by the Cabinet Office. No other advice was sought from, or given by, the Cabinet Office.
	As part of their role in the information campaign, Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister were aware of the results of the NOP World research. The results of the NOP World research were not made available by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to any campaign organisation, but were made available in the Library of the House on 21 February 2005.
	The Electoral Commission were aware that research was undertaken on the effect of the information campaign in raising awareness of the referendums.
	The cost of the research undertaken by NOP World research totalled £76,100
	Other research conducted by NOP Research Group Ltd. for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister since June 2003 is:
	1. "Key public sector workers: exploring recruitment and retention issues and their housing preferences" (for the Analytical Services Research Programme).
	2. "Survey of Small Businesses and Rate Relief" (for the ODPM Local and Regional Government Research Programme).

Planning

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how draft Planning Policy Statement 10 amends the planning process in relation to development on greenfield or green belt sites.

Keith Hill: The consultation draft of Planning Policy Statement 10 (PPS10) "Planning for Sustainable Waste Management" sets out a search sequence to be adopted by waste planning authorities in preparing development plan documents that gives priority to the re-use of previously-developed land before greenfield sites.
	There is no change to green belt policy which is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 "Green Belts". This advises that the carrying out of operations and the making of material changes of use which do not maintain the openness of the Green Belt and conflict with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt would not be appropriate development. In such cases applicants would have to demonstrate that there were very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the harm that the development would cause to the Green Belt. Draft PPS10 expects regional planning bodies and planning authorities to prepare and deliver planning strategies that protect green belts but recognise the particular locational needs of some types of waste management and that the wider environmental and economic benefits of sustainable waste management are material considerations that should be given significant weight in determining whether proposals should be given planning permission.

Rateable Values (Yorkshire)

John Grogan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) the average percentage change in rateable value is from the 2000 rating lists in Selby and York and (b) the average percentage change in liability will be as a result of revaluation before reliefs are applied in Selby and York following the revaluation of business rates from April 2005.

Nick Raynsford: The information is as follows:
	(a)
	Selby—29.07 per cent. decrease in gross rateable value
	York—22.2 per cent. increase in gross rateable value
	Full data on the impact of revaluation on rateable values by billing authority are available on the Valuation Office Agency's website. These also show a breakdown by category within the billing authority.
	See http://www.voa.gov.uk/business rates/DraftList Stats/baindex.html
	(b)
	The percentage change in liability is more difficult to estimate:
	Selby—34.3 per cent. reduction in average liability
	York—14.7 per cent. increase in average liability
	These figures represent the average change before reliefs and are strongly influenced by the changes in value of some high value hereditaments. These need to be seen in that context.